There are a variety of resources available to help educate everyone -- the general public, students and teachers and the regulated community -- on environmental issues. Here are links to some of those resources. If you have suggestions for additions, please e-mail us at waste@ky.gov

Division of Waste Management publications
The division has put together a variety of publications, newsletters and fact sheets to assist the public in understanding Kentucky's waste management requirements.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
EPA provides a Web page on the terms of environment. Another Web page provides resources to help you to better understand the type, amount and impact of wastes generated in your home and community and what you can do to help reduce and better manage waste.

Working Together for a Healthy Environment – A Guide for Multi-Cultural Community Groups
Working Together is an EPA guide designed to help community leaders and activists plan and execute community events that promote the three R's of solid waste management: reduce, reuse and recycle. The publication includes detailed how-to information on planning and funding a community event plus event ideas like "Kids for a Green Tomorrow" cleanup campaigns.

Commonwealth Cleanup Week Environmental Education Contest
The division sponsors an environmental education contest each year in connection with Commonwealth Cleanup Week, the fourth week in March.

Kentucky Green and Healthy Schools (KGHS) Program 
Kentucky Green and Healthy Schools is a new, voluntary effort to empower students and staff with the tools needed to take action and make their school operate at peak efficiency.

EE-Link, Environmental Education on the Internet
EE-Link has school projects and activities, lesson plans, environmental facts and much more.

Kentucky EPPC Cabinet: Environment Education and Outreach page
This Web page includes educational materials for teachers and a link to Enviro Kids.

Healthy School Environments
EPA has developed a new software, Healthy School Environments Assessment Tool, that contains a health and safety checklist and is designed to be easily customized to reflect state and local requirements and policies.

Integrated Curriculum for Teaching Solid Waste Issues
The Kentucky Environmental Education Council in conjunction with the Division of Waste Management developed a curriculum for students, K-12, to teach solid waste issues.

U.S. EPA - Kids, Students and Teachers Web page
This Web page has resources for teachers and for children from age 4 through Grade 12.

U.S. EPA Make a Difference Kit for Middle School
The "Make a Difference" campaign encourages youth to make informed decisions in their day-to-day lives to help protect the environment. You have four options to get the kit:

-Phone the National Center for Environmental Publications at 800-490-9198
-Fax the National Center for Environmental Publications at 513-489-8695
-Mail the order to U.S. EPA/NSCEP, P.O. Box 42419, Cincinnati, OH 45242-0419
-Via the Internet here.

Also available via the Internet is the Make a Difference in Your School - A How-to Guide for Engaging Students in Resource Conservation and Waste Reduction.

U.S. EPA - Office of Solid Waste, Educational Resources Web page
This Web page has materials for teachers, kids, students and researchers to increase their knowledge of solid waste issues.

U.S. EPA - Teaching Center
Would you like to teach about the environment, but feel that you don't have the technical background? The Teaching Center is for both formal and informal educators and has background fact sheets, lesson plans and information on workshops, conferences, grants, and awards.

Recycling Starts with You!
A paper recycling poster produced by Scholastic and American Forest & Paper Association.

Waste-Free Lunch
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency developed this poster to help students learn how to reduce, reuse and recycle items in their school lunches. Either download a copy or order at the EPA site.


How Landfills Work
Have you ever wondered where garbage ends up? Find out at HowStuffWorks "How Landfills Work". 

How long does that trash last?
An Education World lesson plan that includes scientists’ estimations of the decomposition rates of trash.  

Trash a Pizza! 
Create a visual aid or model that shows the different types of materials that are buried in landfills with Art Lesson 59: Trash a Pizza.

Hazardous household products

Household Mercury Spills Fact Sheet
Includes links to mercury in schools information and "Public Health Instructions for School Officials Regarding Mercury Spills." Word  PDF

Find the Mercury
An activity sheet for students to help identify common sources of mercury in the home. Word  PDF

Mercury education videos
An EPA site with mercury videos, Keep Your Paws Off Mercury and Mission Mercury, and a poster that can be downloaded or ordered.

Safe House, Safe Me
A coloring book with information about household hazardous products, proper disposal and safer alternatives. A California Integrated Waste Management Board publication adapted with permission. PDF

Recycling

NAPCOR's Kids Corner 
Information about PET (polyethylene terephthalate), free educational materials and clipart. PET is the type of plastic labeled with the #1 code on or near the bottom of bottles and containers. 

Charge Up to Recycle! Battery Lesson Plan.
Grade 5 and up. The lesson plan uses batteries as the basis for developing student's math, science and history skills while teaching the benefits of recycling rechargeable batteries. The lesson plan was developed by Keep Indianapolis Beautiful in cooperation with the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation. 

The Case of the Broken Loop 
The EPA has created a workbook about a detective follows the trail of the Garbage Gremlin and students learn about reducing waste and conserving resources.

History of the Recycling Symbol
In 1970, graduate student Gary Dean Anderson won first place in a contest sponsored by a paperboard company for his design based on the Möbius loop. Read more about it here.

Glass Recycling
Glass recycling lesson -- Newton's Apple (PBS): Glass Recycling, Show No. 1007. What is the step-by-step process of recycling glass? Can a brown bottle become a green bottle after recycling?

Paper recycling: Tools for Teachers 
Tools for Teachers on the Paper Industry Association Council site includes Recycling Starts with You! which was designed to build language arts and math skills, Grades 3–6. The program was produced by Scholastic and American Forest and Paper Association (AFPA).  Other materials include educational flyers on paper reuse, recycling, and sustainable forestry produced by AFPA for classroom use by K-6 teachers.

Recycling Plastics
Recycling Plastics is an Energy Kid's Page with information including sections on "Decoding Plastics" and "Paper or Plastic."

The Art of Recycling
Creative ways to recycle by making art. This Imagination Factory Web site includes a Trash Matcher (ideas for using various items) and a Badge Matcher page with information for Brownies and Girl Scouts.

Recycle City
A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency site for students that shows what happens to garbage and why recycling is important. Recycle City, includes a game and other activities.

School Recycling Guide
Our Recycling and Local Assistance staff created a School Recycling Guide for teachers interested in developing a recycling program in the classroom.

Regulated Entities

The Division of Waste Management conducts certification programs for the operators and managers of some waste management facilities. Interested parties must fill out and submit an application and registration form before the deadline to attend operators certification training schools.

• A printable version of the application for operator certification - DEP 6031. (1/08) is available in PDF format.
• An editable version of the application for operator certification - DEP 6031. (1/08) is available only in Word format.

• The registration form for the Landfill Operator Certification Class is available in Word or PDF format. Additional information about the class can be found here.
• The registration form for the Landfill Manager Certification Class is available in Word or PDF format. Additional information about the class can be found here.
• The registration form for the Landfarm Operator Certification Class is available in Word or PDF format. Additional information about the class can be found here.
• The registration form for the Compost Facility Operator Certification Class is available in Word or PDF format. Additional information about the class can be found here.

If you have questions, contact Anita Young of the Solid Waste Branch.

Landfill Operator Certification Training

The landfill operators class will be held April 14-16, 2008. This course provides training on landfill operations. The topics covered include: how to manage solid wastes, landfill planning, design and construction, landfill operational, safety and health issues, landfill management, landfill monitoring requirements, permits and regulatory compliance. This three-day class is conducted yearly although landfill operators are required to be recertified every five years. A test is given after the class. Participants are required to pass the test with a score of at least 70 percent in order to be certified for five years.

The 2006 Kentucky Landfill Manual is only available in PDF format.

Landfill Manager Certification Training

The training will be held May 12-14, 2008. This course provides training on landfill management. The topics covered include: how to manage solid wastes, landfill planning, design and construction, landfill operational, safety and health issues, landfill management, landfill monitoring requirements, permits and regulatory compliance. This three-day class is conducted yearly although landfill managers are required to be recertified every five years. A test is given after the class. Participants are required to pass the test with a score of at least 70 percent in order to be certified for five years.

The 2006 Kentucky Landfill Manual is only available in PDF format.

Landfarm Facility Operator Certification Training

The training will be held June 17-18, 2008. This course provides training on landfarming operations in the state. The topics covered include: special and solid wastes for landfarming, soil properties, site selection, soil and crop management, regulatory requirements, landfarming management and closure. This two-day class is conducted yearly although landfarm facility operators are required to be recertified every five years. A test is given after the class. Participants are required to pass the test with a score of at least 70 percent in order to be certified for five years.

The 2006 Kentucky Landfarm Manual is only available in PDF format.

Compost Facility Operator Certification Training

The training will be held June 3-4, 2008. This course provides training on composting operations in the state. The topics covered include: components of solid waste, the composting process, composting methods, facility siting and preparation, composting procedures, monitoring and record keeping, marketing compost, troubleshooting and permitting processes. This two-day class is conducted yearly although compost facility operators are required to be recertified every five years. A test is given after the class. Participants are required to pass the test with a score of at least 70 percent in order to be certified for five years.

The 2006 Kentucky Compost Manual is only available in PDF format.