Moultrie Technical College and Georgia Erosion and Sedimentation Institute
Co-op to Provide Required Training
MOULTRIE, GA. The Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission (GSWCC) has issued the education requirements for certification of “land disturbing activities” as mandated by the passage of Georgia House Bill 285. By the end of 2006 it is expected that more than 20,000 individuals across the state of Georgia will have been trained and certified.
The term “land disturbing activity” is fairly broad, but it is targeted toward any activity which may result in soil erosion from water or wind. For instance, the clearing, dredging, grading, excavating or transporting of land that is a result of construction or utility work would qualify as “land disturbing.”
Moultrie Technical College’s (MTC) Continuing Education department and the Georgia Erosion and Sedimentation Institute (GESI) have created a cooperative arrangement for offering the classes for the Georgia state-required Soil Erosion Certification courses.
Beginning with the July 11 class offered at Moultrie Tech’s Tifton Campus, the two organizations will pool their resources to provide the community with instructors in locations convenient to southwest Georgia individuals in need of the training. The Soil Erosion Certification training will be required by December 31, 2006, for anyone involved in land-disturbing activities. The goal of the training is to ensure that the environment is protected during construction and developmental activities.
“This is such an important community issue. We want to ensure that our service area is properly trained,” says Tonya Cooper, MTC director of continuing education.
“We are very excited about the potential of this partnership,” says Damon Harper, GESI representative.
MTC’s Continuing Education falls under the auspices of the Economic Development Division which is the business and industry outreach arm of the College that delivers community-based training designed to enhance the workforce. This is complementary to the GESI mission - to assist individuals and communities in utilizing and protecting our natural resources while improving the economy, environment and quality of life.
“This training is an excellent example of how Economic Development is working to enhance and expand the skills of the workforce in our community,” says Carol Mathews, MTC vice-president of economic development.
Harper says, “We feel this training is closely related to and will fully support our other projects which focus on soil and water conservation through the implementation of Best Management Practices (BMP). These BMP’s address land use issues such as transportation, agriculture, multi-purpose/recreation, stream bank stabilization, construction, and forestry.”
The training does not apply to those involved in surface mining, granite quarrying or minor land disturbing activities such as home gardening or farm field cultivation. However, one should check with the local issuing authority for specifics to ensure compliance. Violations to the HB285 include stop orders, fees, and loss of permit, among other disciplinary actions. The consequences of being out of compliance can be exorbitant, as fees are levied per incident, per day.
Beginning January 1, 2007, any entity engaged in land disturbing activities must have at least one person on-site that has primary day-to-day operational control and is certified and in compliance with the Erosion, Sedimentation and Pollution Control Plan and permit conditions.
For more information on HB285 and the certification requirements, visit http://gaswcc.georgia.gov. For more information on training certification, contact Moultrie Technical College at 229-386-3169 or Georgia Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Institute at 770-358-1040.
Media Release - June 1, 2006
Contact: Jana Wiggins, Moultrie Technical College, Director of Marketing
(229) 217-4139 OR
Tonya Cooper, MTC Director of Continuing Education
(229) 386-3169
Email: jwiggins@moultrietech.edu; tcooper@moultrietech.edu
