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

The Division of Waste Management conducts certification programs for the operators and managers of landfill facilities and operators of landfarm and compost facilities. Interested parties must complete and submit an application and registration form before the deadline to attend operator certification training schools. All training will be held at 300 Fair Oaks Lane, Frankfort, KY.

Landfill Manager Certification
Training will be held May 5-7, 2009.

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.

Application and notice with registration form, DOC (Word) format.
Application and notice with registration form, PDF format.
Training manual, only available as PDF.

Landfill Operator Certification
Training will be held Apr. 14-16, 2009.

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.

Application and notice with registration form, DOC (Word) format.
Application and notice with registration form, PDF format.
Training manual, only available as PDF.

Landfarm Operator Certification
Training will be held June 16-17, 2009.

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.

Application and notice and registration form, DOC (Word) format.
Application and notice and registration form, PDF format.
Training manual, only available as PDF.

Compost Operator Certification
Training will be held June 2-3, 2009.
 
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.

Application and notice and registration form, DOC (Word) format.
Application and notice and registration form, PDF format.
Training manual, only available as PDF.

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

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.

How green is your art?
The Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection (DEP) is sponsoring an art contest for high school juniors and seniors. Projects must be e-mailed and received by March 15, 2009. Winners will be announced April 30 and the art will be displayed in the department training room for the rest of the year. A link to the competition form and rules is on the DEP site.

Bluegrass PRIDE
Resource library, Compost: It's a good thing, and Lexington WasteBuster, outdoor classroom and waste reduction units. For Educators page.

Eastern Kentucky PRIDE
PRIDE for Educators: information on all aspects of the PRIDE Environmental Education Program, as well as other environmental education resources, links and contacts. PRIDE for Kids: Fun things to do at  JW’s place.

Teach English, Teach About the Environment 
Teach English, Teach About the Environment is an EPA curriculum to help teach English to adult students while introducing the concept of reduce, reuse, recycle. This publication includes solid waste lesson plans -- beginning to advanced -- that can be used in any classroom plus a training section for English teachers of adult speakers of other languages.

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 Energy and Environment 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.

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: Life Cycle Series
You can order copies from EPA's Publications By Topic - Life Cycle Assessment/Product Stewardship page or download from the following links:

EPA530H03002 LIFE CYCLE OF A CD OR DVD  en Español
EPA530H04002 LIFE CYCLE OF A CELL PHONE  en Español
EPA530H05001 LIFE CYCLE OF A SOCCER BALL  en Español

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.

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.

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

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. 

Call2Recycle Activity Booklet and Charge Up to Recycle! Battery Lesson Plan
An activity booklet and other battery and cell phone education resources provided by the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corp. 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 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.