O.C.G.A. § 12-8-24.1 — Certiﬁcation of municipal solid waste disposal facility operators

(a) After July 1, 1992, no person shall perform the duties of a municipal solid waste disposal facility operator without being duly certiﬁed under this Code section. (b) After July 1, 1992, no municipal solid waste disposal facility shall be operated in Georgia unless the operator is certiﬁed under this Code section. All inspectors of municipal solid waste disposal facilities shall be certiﬁed to inspect the same. (c) The division is authorized to cooperate with the University System of Georgia or with any other appropriate organization approved by the director to develop a certiﬁcation program which conforms with the requirements of this part. The division may classify all municipal solid waste disposal facilities required to have operators certiﬁed under this part with due regard to the size, type, character of the solid waste to be disposed of, and other physical conditions affecting such municipal solid waste disposal facilities according to the skill, knowledge, and experience that the operator in responsible charge must have to operate 844 12-8-24.1 WASTE MANAGEMENT 12-8-24.2 the facilities successfully so as to protect the public health and welfare and prevent environmental problems. (d) Any certiﬁcate granted under this Code section shall be renewable as provided by rules of the board. (e) The division shall approve all examinations and courses to be used in determining the knowledge, ability, and judgment of applicants for certiﬁcation under this Code section. (f ) Upon application, a certiﬁcate may be issued without examination in a comparable classiﬁcation to any person who holds a valid current certiﬁcate in any state, territory, or possession of the United States or any other country, provided that the requirements for certiﬁcation of operators under which the person’s certiﬁcate was issued do not conﬂict with this part and are of a standard not lower than that speciﬁed by regulations adopted under this part and provided, further, that reciprocal privileges are granted to certiﬁed operators of this state. (g) The director may investigate the actions of any operator and may revoke or suspend the certiﬁcate of an operator when the director ﬁnds that the operator has practiced fraud or deception; that reasonable care or judgment or the application of his knowledge or ability was not used in the performance of his duties; or that the operator is incompetent or unable to perform his duties properly. History. — Code 1981, § 12-8-24.1, enacted by Ga. L. 1990, p. 412, § 1. 12-8-24.2. Public hearing prior to entering contract regarding landﬁll. The governing authority of any county or municipal corporation and the directors or managers of any local authority or special district shall hold a public hearing before entering into a contract for the sale, lease, or management of a landﬁll or solid waste disposal facility owned by such county, municipal corporation, local authority, or special district. The party responsible for holding such a public hearing shall cause notice of the hearing to be posted at the site of the landﬁll or facility and to run in a newspaper of general circulation serving the county, municipal corporation, local authority, or special district not less than 30 nor more than 45 days prior to the date of the hearing. History. — Code 1981, § 12-8-24.2, enacted by Ga. L. 1997, p. 1081, § 2. 845 12-8-24.3 CONSERVATION & NATURAL RES. 12-8-25 12-8-24.3. Notiﬁcation of contaminant release from landﬁll.