WHEREAS the Code of Practice for landfills requires that all landfill operators be certified as of September 1, 2001;AND WHEREAS Alberta Environment has established a process of certification including a course, exams and grandfathering of existing landfill operators;AND WHEREAS Alberta Environment has demanded that a landfill operator other than one who has been grandfathered must take courses and pass a final exam to be certified;AND WHEREAS an individual must hold a grade 12 diploma in order to be eligible to write the final exam;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties urge Alberta Environment to eliminate the rule requiring individuals to possess a grade 12 diploma in order to be eligible to write a landfill operators exam;AND FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that the AAMDC urge Alberta Environment to allow any individual sponsored by a municipality, waste management organization or private operator to take courses for landfill operator certification, and to be certified upon successful completion of those exams, regardless of formal education levels.

On September 1, 2001 the Code of Practice for Landfills relative to certified operators came into effect. This issue was discussed at the workshop of Northern C.A.R.E. held in High Prairie on August 24, 2001. After presentations by Alberta Environment at that workshop, it was made clear that only those persons with a grade 12 diploma could write the certification exam to be an accredited landfill operator.As a rural host to the workshop, the M.D. of Big Lakes agreed to sponsor this resolution. The workshop took place after the Northern District summer zone meeting, which was the last Northern zone meeting prior to the AAMDC Fall Convention. Many representatives of northern municipalities support this resolution.Basically, the requirement for a grade 12 diploma is a nice thought, but many individuals who have less formal education are still fully capable of becoming excellent landfill operators. These individuals should be allowed to become certified operators, provided that they take the courses and pass the examinations. Yes, the world has changed with regard to landfill operators. But any operator must be supported by senior administrative staff, consulting engineers and the legal profession. That is our new reality.

The AAMDC has no resolutions currently in effect with respect to this issue.