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Interns with the Iowa Pollution Prevention Program experience a unique partnership of academia, industry and government all working together toward environmental and economic goals.
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The Iowa Department of Natural Resources implemented the Pollution Prevention Intern Program as a collaborative effort between government, business, and academia to develop cost-effective options for preventing or minimizing waste from industrial processes. Top Iowa students share their talent, hard work and fresh perspectives with companies and institutions dedicated to environmental excellence. In return, the students gain valuable training from experts in their fields and hands-on professional experience. All Iowans benefit from the lasting environmental impacts this partnership creates.
Since 2001, the implementation of Pollution Prevention Intern recommendations has saved over 1 billion gallons of water, 117,475 tons of solid waste, 1.17 million gallons of hazardous waste, 83,640 tons of special waste, and over 258.6 million kilowatt hours and 16.5 million therms of electricity. Companies have cumulatively saved over 58.6 million dollars by implementing these environmental improvements.
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In 2009, 24 interns with the Pollution Prevention Intern Program implemented projects that improve the way Iowa businesses manufacture, consume, reuse, and recycle materials. Intern recommendations helped participating companies and facilities dramatically reduce solid and hazardous waste, conserve water, improve water quality, improve air quality, reduce energy usage, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. Projects implemented this year will save participating companies and institutions over 1.2 million dollars annually.
For 2009, the program offered two circuit rider projects; thermal imaging in industrial facilities and source reduction in hospitals. These projects offer the opportunity to assess targeted waste streams that are common to specific processes and industries.
Typically, after one week of training, interns spend 11 weeks at the host facility. In 2008, two interns with the program undertook 24-week projects, finishing in November. Twenty-four week projects allow an intern to collect data over time, and evaluate a system through varying conditions. These extended internships allow more opportunity for the intern to begin implementation of the projects they have recommended. The host company benefits by having continuous oversight of initial stages of the implementation, while the intern gains additional hands-on experience and is able to see the project through to fruition. Companies and students may submit applications for 12 or 24-week intern projects in 2010.
2009 Pollution Prevention Interns
Resources and Information
Companies and interns wishing to participate in the 2010 Pollution Prevention Intern Program are invited to download an application:
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*.doc | *.pdf |
| Student Application, Apply by February 8, 2010 |
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| Business Application, Apply by November 20, 2009 |
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| “The pollution prevention internship was one of my most eye-opening experiences in engineering. The textbook only tells half of the story; the rest is out on the floor.”
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| “The project itself allowed me to take a problem, come up with a solution, prove why my solution would work the best and begin implementation. I could not have asked for a more worthwhile, hands-on experience.”
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| “The Pollution Prevention Internship is personally satisfying because allows us to make an environmental and social impact at an early stage in our career. On a professional level, this internship has given me invaluable experience in the working world that I would never receive at college, and has allowed me to make a real economic contribution to the company I work for.”
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DNR Contact
Danielle Dilks
(515) 281-8063
Danielle.Dilks@dnr.iowa.gov
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