Applicants must:
- Meet the below education/experience criteria for the level operator for which they are applying.
- Submit a Solid Waste Operator Certification Application
with a $50 fee to receive temporary Interim certification and register to take Basic Training. - Complete the DES Basic Solid Waste Training Course to receive full certification.
- Participate in continuing education activities to maintain full certification.
Four Levels of Operators:
- Level 4 Manager/Operator: A Level 4 Manager/Operator is authorized to manage landfills, transfer stations and composting facilities, and recycling centers that are permitted to accept more than 30 tons of waste per day. A Level 4 Manager/Operator must have a high school diploma or GED and a minimum of five years experience in a field related to waste management, subject to the substitutions allowed below.
- Level 3 Advanced Operator: A Level 3 Advanced Operator is authorized to work at landfills, transfer stations, recycling centers and composting facilities permitted to accept up to 30 tons of waste per day, and monofills that only receive scrap metal, demolition debris or asbestos. Level 3 Advanced Operators must have a high school diploma or GED and three years experience in a field related to waste management, subject to the substitutions allowed below.
- Level 2 Operator: Individuals certified at this level are authorized to work to be in charge at monofills that only accept brush and/or stumps. Level 2 Operators must have completed eighth grade and have two years work experience in a field related to waste management, subject to the substitutions allowed below.
- Level 1 Attendant: Attendants must have completed eighth grade and have one year or less experience in a related filed; they may not be in charge at any type of solid waste facility.
The following substitutions may be made to the above requirements:
- One year of college education may be substituted for one year of experience, up to a maximum of four years for Level 4, two years for Level 3, and one year for Level 2.
- One year of experience may be substituted for one year of elementary or high school up to a maximum of one year.
- High school education shall not be credited towards experience.
- Education applied toward experience shall not also be applied toward the education requirement.
Basic Solid Waste Operator Training Course for First-time Licenses
The Basic Training course is required of all four levels of solid waste operators. This free course covers the basics of facility operations and management and the regulations that apply to managing solid waste. DES will be offering a number of training courses in 2013. Information on the next course for new operators is shown below:
When: Thursday, April 4, 2013 from 8:30 to 4:00
Where: DES offices at 29 Hazen Drive in Concord
Please check this site for future course dates. For more information call (603) 271-2925 or email Nelson Ordway at nelson.ordway@des.nh.gov.
Microsoft Word format. Download a free viewer from Microsoft.