IERCA Brings Compost Tech Training to Home Team
Inland Empire Regional Composting Authority (IERCA), hosted a USCC Technician Training Level I course, providing composting facility operators with a comprehensive understanding of the full composting process, as well as options and alternatives for production.
Operators from the IERCA had eight hours in February of combined classroom and hands-on instruction on the basic biological concepts of composting, including the inter-relationship between oxygen, moisture, C:N ratio, temperature, porosity, and time.
The curriculum encompassed pile management techniques for feedstock handling, storage, mixing, pile building, turning, curing, and screening. The class also discussed sampling techniques, safety, record keeping, and troubleshooting to prevent odors and fires.
“The Compost Operator Tech I Training is the perfect tool for a working compost project’s operators,” said Jeff Ziegenbein, Project Manager for IERCA. “We scheduled our operator staff to complete the training in a single day. (Facilitator) Cary Oshins did a fantastic job covering a range of topics that even experienced staff found enlightening.”
Ziegenbein plans to have the USCC return so IERCA can expand participation to include engineering and compliance staff. Pleased especially with the interactive aspects of the training, Ziegenbein said, “The hands-on field work was relevant and useful, prompting discussions and ideas from all involved. I highly recommend the course for anyone in the industry looking to better understand the art and science of composting.”
The Tech I course is mobile, and available to any organization that can benefit from the training. A degree of flexibility exists within the curriculum to assure that the training is tailored to the facility’s specific operation and unique training needs.
The USCC is also considering a more advanced Technician II training for 2015.
To get your organization in the pipeline for Technician Training, visit Tech Training, and/or call Samantha Stallybrass, 443-433-2004.
