(1) The department shall establish qualifications for, and encourage the development of training programs for, operators of landfills, coordinators of local recycling programs, and operators of other solid waste management facilities.
(2) The department shall work with accredited community colleges, career centers, state universities, and private institutions in developing educational materials, courses of study, and other such information to be made available for persons seeking to be trained as operators of solid waste management facilities.
(3) A person may not perform the duties of an operator of a landfill without first completing an operator training course approved by the department or qualifying as an interim operator in compliance with requirements established by the department by rule. An owner of a landfill may not employ any person to perform the duties of an operator unless such person has completed an approved landfill operator training course or qualified as an interim operator in compliance with requirements established by the department by rule. The department may establish by rule operator training requirements for other solid waste management facilities and facility operators.
(4) The department has authority to adopt minimum standards and other rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement the provisions of this section. The department shall ensure the safe, healthy, and lawful operation of solid waste management facilities in this state. The department may establish by rule various classifications for operators to cover the need for differing levels of training required to operate various types of solid waste management facilities due to different operating requirements at such facilities. (5) For purposes of this section, the term “operator” means any person, including the owner, who is principally engaged in, and is in charge of, the actual operation, supervision, and maintenance of a solid waste management facility and includes the person in charge of a shift or period of operation during any part of the day.
