Environmental Officer Licenses
Licensed Environmental Officers are empowered by statute to inspect suspected illegal dumps, collect evidence of open dumping, present the evidence to officers of the court where the offense was committed, and issue and serve citations for violations of the Solid Waste Management Act prohibiting solid waste illegal dumping.
An individual is eligible to apply for initial training as an environmental officer if the individual is a current employee of a municipality, city, county, regional solid waste management district, or state agency, board, or commission. They must also complete the Arkansas Environmental Training Academy Environmental Officer Workshop and pass a comprehensive state examination.
Citations may be served in person or by certified mail, restricted delivery. The person receiving the citation is required to appear before the court named in the citation at the time designated. Courts having jurisdiction over the citations may issue penalties as specified in the Environmental Compliance Resource Act.
Individuals interested in training should contact the trainers directly for information and registration. DEQ maintains a list of approved training courses for Environmental Officers. Six (6) hours of CEUs are required yearly for license renewals.
