Three nationally-recognized solid waste managers to conduct training in Guam

The Guam Environmental Protection Agency today announced the names of the trainers who will be conducting the national solid waste certification course on-island in May.

The trainers are Matthew Cotton, Michael Tilley and Joe Williams. All three trainers are certified instructors with the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA).

“We are so pleased to have very experienced and noteworthy instructors leading the upcoming training,” said Guam EPA Administrator Eric M. Palacios. “Each instructor brings more than a decade of knowledge to the table and will be able to discuss real-life situations involving solid waste management. Their experience will help them assist anyone attending the training with solid waste problem solving and identifying how to incorporate the best practices possible.”

Cotton will be teaching Managing Composting Programs. He has worked with the compost industry for more than 20 years and has been a board member of the U.S. Composting Council for 15 years. Cotton has assisted in multiple permitting and compliance activities as they relate to composting and statewide studies about California’s organic industry. Cotton is the owner of Integrated Waste Management Consulting, LLC in California.

Tilley will be teaching the Managing Recycling Systems course. He has more than 14 years of experience with solid waste and is currently the Supervising Waste Specialist for Eldorado County, California. He has worked in many areas of materials management including refuse collector, refuse supervisor and as a refuse manager.

Finally, Williams will be teaching the certification course on Managing Integrated Solid Waste Management Systems.

He has been working with solid waste for more than 40 years. He is the founder of Common Sense Consulting of Franklin, LLC in Franklin, TN. Williams has experience in both the private and public side of MSW, and spent nearly ten years with the former Browning-Ferris Industries (BFI) before taking the reins as Solid Waste Director for the City of Franklin, TN in 1998. His responsibilities have included hiring, training, safety and compliance, operations, financing and administrative requirements for all sections of solid waste management, including residential, commercial, medical, and special wastes

Registration for the training and conference can be found at www.regonline.com/2014ZeroWastePacific. Following the SWANA training and certification test, there will be a two-day workshop focusing on sustainable materials management in the Pacific. The conference will include presentations focusing on zero waste, capacity building and community-based environmental protection.

Preregistration for the certification trainings is $525.00 per participant until Wednesday, April 9. After that day, the cost is $650.00 per participant.

For more information about SWANA certification or the training component of the event, contact Guam EPA’s Solid Waste Management Program at 300-4751 or email Laura.Kanai@epa.guam.gov.

For more information about the conference or to arrange an interview contact TammyJoAnderson.Taft@epa.guam.gov or call 300-4751/52/53/61.