SWANA SC Palmetto Chapter

Upcoming Training

2025 Training Schedule:

Landfill Manager, Class 3 - March 4 - 6 (2.5 days) - Registration Open
Landfill Operator, Class 2 - August 12 - 13 (1.5) days - Registration opening later
Landfill Operator, Class 3 - October 21 -23 (2.5 days) - Registration opening later

Class 3 Landfill Mangers Certification Training

SCDES's Division of Compliance & Enforcement will be offering certification training for Class 3 Landfill Managers on March 4-6, 2025. The training will be held at the S.C. Association of Counties, 1919 Thurmond Mall, Columbia SC 29201.

To register, please download and complete the Class 3 Registration (Form D-0781).

E-mail the completed form to Carson DaWalt [carson.dawalt@des.sc.gov] or mail a copy to SCDES, Bureau of Land & Waste Management, Division of Compliance & Enforcement, 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201

Once a completed registration form has been received, direction will be given on how to make payment. The registration fee is $350 per person.

The registration deadline is February 25, 2025. Registration is on a first come, first-serve basis.

Landfill and Transfer Station Training Program information

SCDES offers professional training programs for operators of Class 2 Landfills, Class 3 Landfills, and Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Transfer Stations.

The training programs:

Ensure that all solid waste facility operators are professionally trained and re-certified on a regular basis in order to stay up-to-date with changes in solid waste technology as well as changes in South Carolina's environmental laws and regulations;
Help improve the design and operational practices at landfills and transfer stations; and
Increase the operators' awareness of the impact on human health, safety, and the environment.

Class 3 Landfill Operators: Training Required

Supervision of the operation of a Class 3 Landfill shall be the responsibility of a qualified individual that has completed operator training courses and is certified pursuant to Regulation 61-107.14 Solid Waste Management: Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Operator's Certification. This regulation defines "operator" as any person, including the owner, who is principally engaged in, or is in charge of, the actual operation, supervision, and maintenance of an MSW landfill and includes the person in charge of a shift or period during any part of the day. Operators are classified in one of two categories:

"Manager" means the person(s) with the responsibility for the overall management of the facility.
"Supervisor" means the person(s) with the supervisory responsibility for a specific facility site or shift.

Participants who complete one of the Class 3 Landfill training programs and pass the written examination will be certified for 3 years. Renewal of the certification is required every three years and can be achieved by obtaining the required number of approved continuing education hours (fifteen for managers and six for supervisors) during each 3-year period.

Class 2 Landfill and Transfer Station Operators: Training Recommended

Even though training for operators of Class 2 landfills and transfer stations is not currently required by regulation, SCDES strongly recommends that all operators take advantage of these voluntary training opportunities.

When Are Training Courses Offered?

Class 3 Landfill Manager, Class 3 Landfill Supervisor, and Class 2 Landfill Operator training is offered annually. Transfer Station Operator training is offered on an as needed basis.

Contact Us

For additional information, contact Chris Carney at (803) 898-0727 or Chris.Carney@des.sc.gov.

Need to take a SWANA Certification Exam?

The SWANA SC Chapter can provide a testing sites for anyone needing to take a SWANA Certification Exam.

Certification Exams:

Managing Bioreactor and Leachate Recirculation Landfills
HHW & CESQG Collection Operations
Manager of Landfill Operations
Managing Collections Systems
Managing Composting Programs
Managing Construction and Demolition Materials
Managing Recycling Systems
Managing Transfer Station Systems
Managing Integrated SW Management Systems

If there are other exams not on this list, please let us know the name of the Certification Exam. Email us at: info@scswana.org

We can offer SWANA Certification classes as needed.