Texas Illegal Dumping Resource Center

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Classes

Recently Held Classes        

 

Training Opportunities 


TIDRC, principle instructor John Ockels provide all levels of training for active enforcement officers and policy officials responsible for providing these programs to their citizens. 

Illegal Dumping Enforcement Training
These full-day classes provide basic training for enforcement officers in Texas criminal laws best suited to be used to control illegal dumping and illegal burning. The course focuses on Texas Health & Safety Code Chapters 341, 343, and 365 as well as Texas Water Code Chapter 7(E) and the Texas Outdoor Burning rule [30 Texas Administrative Code 111(b)]. Participants include local criminal environmental enforcement officers, police officers and deputy sheriffs, sheriffs, police chiefs, mayors, city managers, and municipal code enforcement officers. In addition to teaching the elements of anti-dumping laws in Texas and discussing effective means of enforcing these laws, the class also provides civil municipal code enforcement officers an excellent opportunity to learn how they can work with their police department to move "beyond code enforcement" in particularly difficult cases. This class has been approved for eight continuing education hours for code enforcement officers and registered sanitarians by the Department of State Health Services, and carries eight TCLEOSE hours for peace officers. 

Coordinated Local Environmental Enforcement 
Coordinated Criminal Environmental Enforcement
Depending on the participants, this class has the option of going deeply into Texas criminal environmental enforcement or focusing on more general interactions. Texas state laws give enormous local environmental enforcement powers to cities and counties. These enforcement powers generally fall into the following categories: (1) municipal code enforcement; (2) criminal health nuisance enforcement; (3) criminal environmental enforcement; and, (4) environmental civil suits for violations of primary state environmental statutes and the rules, orders and permits flowing from these statutes. While the full use of these powers has been given to local governments, fee use them to their fullest capability to create a safe, healthy and prosperous community. This class will use a case study method focusing on illegal dumping, water pollution and illegal waste burning to show the way that communities can take a more comprehensive approach to solving local problems. We will also focus on the blocks to developing coordinated local enforcement programs and ways to overcome these blocks. This class includes one hour credit for code enforcement officers in legislative/legal updates. This class has been approved for six continuing education hours for code enforcement officers and registered sanitarians by the Department of State Health Services, and carries six TCLEOSE hours for peace officers. 

Foreclosure and Property Enforcement
Foreclosures have made the jobs of code and environmental enforcement more difficult for cities and counties across the state, and things don't promise to get any easier. The purpose of this class is to focus on special problems in code and environmental enforcement caused by increased home foreclosures and vacant properties. The instructional techniques will include (1) lectures, (2) analysis of common scenarios, and (3) participant discussion of techniques. This class has been approved for six continuing education hours for code enforcement officers and registered sanitarians by the Department of State Health Services, and carries six TCLEOSE hours for peace officers. 

Senior Official Illegal Dumping Workshops
These short (three-hour) workshops provide the opportunity for senior elected officials and professional staff to come together with an expert facilitator from TIDRC to focus on local anti-dumping programs. The object is to learn about enforcement options, ask questions, and generally work through the policy issues involved in establishing or growing an effective local enforcement program. Participants commonly include county judges, commissioners, sheriffs, county and district attorneys, misdemeanor and felony judges, police chiefs, county planners, city managers and enforcement officer management. Topics and issues generally touch on program funding options, public education, internal reporting structure for enforcement officers, and facilitating local prosecutors in working these crimes against property and health into their normal processes. This short course is provided in "pairs," usually one in the morning and another in the afternoon at the same or other nearby location. This class has been approved for three continuing education hours for code enforcement officers and registered sanitarians by the Department of State Health Services, and carries three TCLEOSE hours for peace officers. 

Illegal Burning Update
These three-hour workshops are designed for any government official or employee to discuss and learn the new provisions of the Texas Outdoor Burning rule. The differences between TCEQ administrative enforcement and local jurisdiction criminal enforcement of the rule will be discussed. All aspects of the revised rule are addressed, and those provisions permitting burning of plant growth waste – both inside and outside cities – are fully reviewed. Participants from cities wishing to prohibit or otherwise regulate burning plant growth waste through local ordinance are encouraged to discuss their current ordinance with their city attorney. The class will also focus on understanding the felony burning provisions of Texas Water Code Secs. 7.182 and 7.183, and local enforcement of these two burning criminal laws will be discussed. This course is ideal for volunteer and paid fire fighters. This short course is provided in "pairs," usually one in the morning and another in the afternoon at the same or other nearby location. 

Special Projects
TIDRC also works with Keep Texas Beautiful and other organizations to provide specialized training and develop enforcement material. If you have a special project in your jurisdiction that includes illegal dumping education, please give the opportunity to get involved.


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