Course Instructor

Diana  Peebler

 

Diana Peebler recently retired from the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), where she served as an Environmental Program Manager overseeing a team of 35 staff. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Science from Arizona State University and is a Registered Environmental Health Specialist (Retired).

Diana began her career in 1982 with the Los Angeles County Hazardous Materials Program and joined DTSC in 1987. Throughout her career, she specialized in hazardous waste regulations, including classification, recycling, and regulatory development. She conducted inspections across a wide range of facilities, testified as an expert witness, and helped shape California’s hazardous waste program, including authoring Title 22 regulations for closed tanks.

She has also been actively involved at the national level, working with the U.S. EPA and other states, and has taught at several major training programs, including the CUPA Training Conference and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.

Diana lives in the Bay Area and enjoys baking, pickleball, and attending National Women’s Soccer League games.

Richard Casagrande

 

Richard Casagrande retired as Director of California Compliance School in 2024 after more than 20 years of teaching hazardous waste compliance courses to thousands of students across the state. He worked closely with the Department of Toxic Substances Control to develop the school’s curriculum, workbook, and training activities.

Prior to that, Richard ran his own environmental engineering services firm and served as the Hazardous Materials Program Manager for the Kern County Resource Management Agency. He is a Registered Environmental Health Specialist in California and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, along with a college and secondary teaching credential.

 

Sande Facinelli

Sande Facinelli retired as Chief of the San Diego County CUPA in 2021 after 30 years in local government. During her career, she served on the CUPA Forum Board, helped develop aboveground petroleum storage regulations, and worked on efforts to streamline requirements and strengthen collaboration between regulators and the regulated community.

Since retiring, Sande has continued her passion for teaching—supporting trainings with the California Hazardous Materials Investigator’s Association, presenting at the annual CUPA Training Conference, and working as a trainer/consultant with Pacific Safety Center in San Diego. She joined California Compliance School in 2023, where she contributes to curriculum development and teaches hazardous waste generator courses.

Sande lives in San Diego and enjoys creating art, spending time with her grandchildren, and hiking with friends.

Dave Dearborn

 

Dave Dearborn is a retired Environmental Crimes Investigator, Hazardous Materials Specialist, and Commercial Officer with the California Highway Patrol, where he served for over 26 years. Throughout his career, he focused on education, enforcement, and response to environmental crimes and hazardous materials incidents.

As a certified U.S. DOT Commercial Officer, Dave conducted thousands of hazardous materials inspections and supported numerous criminal cases involving environmental violations across California. He also served as a Lead Environmental Crimes Investigator, working closely with partner agencies on complex investigations.

Dave has been teaching hazardous materials regulations for over 20 years to both public agencies and private industry. He continues to instruct courses for California Compliance School and the Western States Project, including environmental crimes enforcement training.

He has also held leadership roles with the California Hazardous Materials Investigators Association, including Regional Director, Vice President, and President, and is a recipient of the organization’s Investigator of the Year and Life Member honors.