The Arkansas Environmental Training Academy is offering an environmental officer course in Jonesboro on August 15-17, 2023. This is a 24-hour training course on basic environmental crime investigation. This course is designed for solid waste personnel, regulatory inspectors and criminal investigators concerning illegal dumps.
Associate Environment Administrator Bailey Taylor says, “As the state Environmental Officer Program Coordinator, I encourage local government involvement in the Environmental Officer program. Environmental Officers have authority under Arkansas Code Ann. § 8-6-2011 to inspect suspected illegal dumps and collect evidence and present to the prosecuting attorneys.”
Additionally, Arkansas Code Ann. § 8-6-714 allows for a District that employs or otherwise makes available an environmental officer to collect fees of no more than two dollars ($2.00) per ton of solid waste.
Environmental officers are charged with enforcing local ordinances, statutes, rules, and regulations as well as seeking to prevent and to identify and eliminate illegal dump sites.
“We would love to partner with your local government staff in this effort towards eradicating illegal dumps,” encourages Taylor.
Registration information can be found here: https://sautech.formstack.com/forms/aeta_reg_pay?&course=Environmental%20Officer&location=Jonesboro&division=solidwaste&starts=08/15/2023&Ends=08/17/2023&Fees=$400.00