Dive Brief:
- South Dakota’s Board of Water and Natural Resources has approved a $39,000 grant from the Solid Waste Management Program to enable South Dakota Solid Waste Management Association to provide landfill managers with a national certification course. The money will defray program costs for attending landfill operators.
- The Association is proposing hosting a Manager of Landfill Operations training for new landfill managers and regulators, to support others in maintain existing certifications and to train new staff.
- The Solid Waste Management Program provides grants and loans for waste disposal, recycling, and waste tire projects. Annual funds are appropriated by the legislature to fund water and waste efforts of the Consolidated, State Water Resources Management System and Solid Waste programs.
Dive Insight:
Other solid waste management organizations have recognized the value of formal education to provide tools to keep workers up to date and ultimately support best practices. The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) and the California Resource Recovery Association (CRRA) recently partnered to develop and offer a Zero Waste Principles and Practices course and certification program to achieve the same goal South Dakota is after: improving efficiency and competency.
“It’s imperative to have South Dakota landfill managers and operators adequately trained and certified to ensure the proper handling and disposal of solid waste," said Gov. Dennis Daugaard. "This training is important because certified landfill workers can better operate their landfills, improve protection of the environment and save money for their customers by improving landfill efficiency."
Outside of such course and programs, many solid waste professionals can find training and educational opportunities at association trade shows, such as WASTECON or WasteExpo.
