ET 110 Hazardous Waste Generation/Reduction/Treatment

This course is designed to educate individuals working in or seeking employment in the hazardous waste management field with an overview of industrial processes and their generation of waste streams. The selected industries include: electroplating, metal finishing and printed circuit board production; oil refining and chemical production; steel production; general manufacturing; printing and graphic reproduction; agriculture; and consumer services.

ET 130 Health Effects of Environmental Hazardous Materials

This course is designed to educate individuals working in or seeking employment in areas that include health and safety responsibilities. It provides an overview of how to identify and evaluate the hazards of chemical, physical and biological agents that can be encountered in industrial operations, waste disposal and remediation sites.

ET 150 Hazardous Waste Management Applications

This course is designed to provide individuals, who are working in or seeking employment in the environmental field with an overview of hazardous waste management and regulations. The course explains the hazardous waste regulatory framework and develops research skills in the hazardous waste area. Emphasis is placed on the following topics: universal waste, generator compliance, site investigation and remediation, permitting, enforcement, liability, and storm water discharge. The course also provides “hands-on” applications of the regulations. These applications include: preparing a hazardous waste manifest, labeling and storing containers, sampling and analysis, and preparing a Phase I environmental audit.

ET 200 Hazardous Materials Management Applications

This course is designed to provide individuals, who are working in or who seek employment in the hazardous materials management field, with a general overview of the requirements and applications of federal, state, and local laws and regulations relating to hazardous materials. The course will emphasize compliance with Department of Transportation, OSHA Hazard Communications, SARA Title III Community Right-to-Know, Underground Tank, Asbestos, Proposition 65, and Air Toxics Regulations.

ET 230 Safety and Emergency Response

This course is designed to provide individuals, who are working in or who seek employment in the environmental technology field, with hands-on instruction in safety and emergency response to chemical and physical exposures at hazardous waste sites. Topics include: hazard identification, emergency response planning, proper use and selection of PPE, site control and evaluation, handling drums and containers, field sampling and air monitoring, proper use of instruments, confined spaces, emergency response including field exercises in the use of APR and SCBA. This course satisfies the requirements for 40 hour HAZWOPER TRAINING under OSHA (1910.120) and confined space entry training under OSHA (1910.146).

ET 240 Solid Waste Management Applications

This course is designed to provide individuals, who are working in or seek employment in the solid waste management field, with an overview of the solid waste industry and its components. Emphasis is placed on the various aspects of integrated waste management including: waste prevention, recycling, composting, incineration, landfilling, environmental sampling and monitoring, facility siting and permitting, and compliance with environmental, health and safety regulations.

ET 250 Fundamentals of Safety and Health I

This course is designed to introduce the student to the field of Occupational Safety and Health and Program Development. Topics include instruction on Federal, State and Local Agency legislation and the application of Labor and Occupational Safety and Health regulations. The course content also includes familiarization with Workers Compensation/General Liability Insurance, Accident Investigation Techniques, Industrial Hygiene, Ergonomics, Fire Prevention, Site and Facility Auditing, Systems Safety and Program Development. This course is for individuals that are pursuing a degree in Environmental Technology, Safety & Health or for working supervisors, professionals or business owners that are responsible for worker safety or placement of workers compensation/general liability insurance.

ET 251 Fundamentals of Safety and Health II

This course is designed to introduce the student to the supervisory and management functions of Occupational Safety and Health and Risk Management. Topics include a review of Federal, State and Local Agency Legislation, Labor and Occupational Safety and Health regulations and Workers Compensation insurance. The course content will focus on the Elements of Safety and Health Program Development, Behavior Based Safety, Workplace Violence, Terrorism Preparedness, Hazardous Materials and Waste Management, Application of occupational safety and health design/compliance, regulations and development of the Safety and health and Loss Prevention Program (Policy through QA/QC). This course is for individuals that are pursuing a degree in Environmental Technology, a Safety & Health Certificate and the working professional or business owner responsible for worker safety or Risk Management.

ET 260 Environmental Sampling and Analysis

This course provides an overview of the techniques of sampling protocols for obtaining soil, air, surface water, and groundwater samples based on the U.S. EPA approved sampling protocols. In the lecture, emphasis is placed on the aspects of the procurement of the samples through the EPA approved standard operating procedures and practices. In the laboratory, the student will gain practical knowledge and skills for the appropriate collection and handling of environmental samples.

ET 270 Wastewater Treatment Plant Operations I

This is the initial course of a series of water treatment courses designed to train individuals, who are working in or who seek employment in the waste water treatment field, in the practical aspects of operating and maintaining wastewater treatment plants, emphasizing the use of safe practices and procedures. Information presented includes the role and responsibilities of a treatment plant operator, an explanation of why wastes must be treated, and detailed descriptions of the equipment and processes used in a wastewater treatment plant. Students will learn to operate and maintain racks, screens, comminutors, sedimentation tanks, trickling filters, rotating biological contactors, package activated sludge plants, oxidation ditches, ponds, and chlorination facilities. Students will also learn to analyze and solve operational problems and to perform mathematical calculations relating to wastewater treatment process control.

ET 271 Wastewater Treatment Plant Operations II

This is the second course of a series of water treatment courses designed to train individuals, who are working in or who seek employment in the waste water treatment field, with the practical aspects of operating and maintaining wastewater treatment plants, emphasizing the use of safe practices and procedures. Information presented includes: conventional activated sludge processes, sludge digestion and solids handling, effluent disposal, plant safety and good housekeeping, plant and equipment maintenance, analysis and presentation of data, and records and report writing. Students will also learn to analyze and solve operational problems and to perform mathematical calculations relating to wastewater treatment process control. Prerequisite: ET 270

ET 272 Advanced Wastewater Treatment

This is the third course in a series of water treatment courses designed to train individuals who are working in or who seek employment in the waste water treatment field in the practical aspects of operating and maintaining wastewater treatment plants and emphasizes the use of safe practices and procedures. Topics presented include: detailed descriptions of the equipment and advanced treatment processes used for odor control, pure oxygen activated sludge treatment, solids removal from secondary effluents, residual solids management, enhanced biological control including nitrogen and phosphorus removal, and wastewater reclamation. Students will learn to operate and maintain treatment plant instrumentation equipment and systems. Additionally, students will also learn to analyze and solve operational problems and to perform mathematical calculations relating to wastewater treatment process control. This course focuses on actual operating procedures and teaches students to analyze and solve operational problems. Prerequisite: ET 271

ET 273 Stormwater Management, Treatment, and Controls

This course is designed to provide individuals, who are working in or are seeking employment in the industrial stormwater management field, with the skills necessary to manage stormwater activities at industrial sites. Such management activities would include the ability to: write stormwater plans, implement structural and non-structural best management practices, evaluate and design stormwater treatment systems, conduct laboratory testing, understand how to collect stormwater samples, evaluate low impact development methods, and understand the regulatory and political framework of stormwater management. Emphasis will be placed on the following topics: Stormwater chemistry, water treatment, student designed industrial treatment systems, auditing for compliance, monitoring of the industrial effluent, interpretation of laboratory results, and how to apply the data to achieve real reductions in effluent contaminated by industrial pollutants.

ET 274 Industrial Waste Water Treatment

This course is designed to provide individuals, who are working in or seeking employment in the water management field, with the practical aspects of operating and maintaining industrial waste water treatment plants. Emphasis is placed on the following topics: role of the industrial waste water treatment operator, types of industrial waste streams, industrial waste water regulations, sources of wastes and methods for preventing and minimizing wastes at the source, and industrial waste monitoring. The plant operations and maintenance topics that will be highlighted include the following: operating and maintaining flow measure equipment, preliminary treatment processes, physical-chemical treatment processes, pressure and gravity filters, physical treatment processes, treatment of metal waste streams, and safety procedures.

ET 275 Water Treatment

This course is designed to provide individuals, who are working in or seeking employment in the water management field, with the practical aspects of operating and maintaining water treatment plants. Topics will include: responsibilities of the water treatment plant operator, sources of water, reservoir management and intake structures, coagulation and flocculation, sedimentation and filtration, disinfection and corrosion control, and taste and odor control. Day to day operating procedures will be highlighted in this course and will consists of the following topics: daily operating procedures, regulation of flows, chemical use and handling, records and reports, plant maintenance, safety and security, emergency procedures, handling complaints, and energy conservation.

ET 276 Water Distribution

This course is designed to provide individuals, who are working in or seeking employment in the water management system, with the practical aspects of operating and maintaining water distribution systems. Topics include: role and duties of water distribution system operators, procedures for operating and maintaining clear wells and storage tanks, characteristics of distribution system facilities, operating and maintaining distribution systems, maintaining water quality, disinfecting water systems, and techniques for recognizing hazards and developing safe procedures and programs. Operators also learn to analyze and solve problems associated with operating a distribution system.

ET 290 Cooperative Work Experience/ Internship for Environmental Technology Related Fields

This course supports and reinforces on-the-job training in business and industrial establishments under supervision of a college instructor and is facilitated by the use of learning objectives. The student will be working in a skilled or professional level assignment in their area of vocational interest and will meet performance objectives related to instruction that are above and beyond the conditions of regular employment. This course is intended for students whose job is related to the field of environmental technology and have completed or enrolled in the appropriate coursework. Contact the CWE office regarding re-enrollment procedures.

Student Unpaid Internship:

1 Unit/60 hours; 2 Units/120 hours;
3 Units/180 hours; 4 Units/240 hours

Student Paid Internship:

1 Unit/75 hours; 2 Units/150 hours;
3 Units/225 hours; 4 Units/300 hours.

ET 299 Directed Study: Environmental Technology

Independent Study/Directed Study is intended for students who have the ability to assume responsibility for independent work and to prepare written or oral reports and/or appropriate projects. To enroll in an independent study/directed study course, students must possess a 2.5 overall grade point average, a 3.0 grade point average in the discipline of study being requested, or receive an exception from the instructor. Independent Studies/Directed Studies may be developed from any topic arising from or related to a course of study that will result in developing depth and breadth in that subject area. Students will be expected to meet on a regular basis with their faculty sponsor and submit a final report or project, and student progress shall be evaluated at regular intervals. Academic standards for Independent Studies/Directed Studies shall be the same as those for other courses. Units are awarded in accordance to Title V regulations with one unit of credit awarded for 54 hours of Directed Studies, six (6) hours of which must be with an instructor. The instructor is responsible for monitoring student progress through the semester. Students may take directed study courses for a maximum of three (3) units within a discipline, and may not accumulate more than a total of nine (9) units college wide.