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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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In 2001, 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, 108,947 tons of solid waste, 942,332 gallons of hazardous waste, 100,601 tons of special waste, and over 221.5 million kilowatt hours and 2.29 million therms of electricity. Companies have cumulatively saved over 54 million dollars by implementing these environmental improvements.
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In 2008, 21 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. The projects this year saved participating companies and institutions over 1.5 million dollars.
As the Pollution Prevention Intern Program evolves, the DNR continuously strives to improve this program’s services. Two of the 2008 interns performed on-site assessments at previous host companies and institutions. The interns followed up on project opportunities that had been identified by past interns and engineers, and the companies and institutions generously shared their insights about the program’s results and effectiveness. These assessments helped us to better understand company priorities, barriers to implementation and environmentally sustainable trends. The evaluations strengthened our existing partnerships and will be extremely valuable as we gear up for future projects.
Typically, after one week of training, interns spend 11 weeks at the host facility. In 2007, Pollution Prevention Services partnered with a company to develop 24-week internship opportunities. Two of our 2008 interns are undertaking 24-week projects. Case summaries for these projects will be added to the web site below upon completion in November .
Companies and interns wishing to participate in the 2009 Pollution Prevention Intern Program are invited to download an application and submit to:
2009 Pollution Prevention Interns
Resources and Information
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| Student Application, Apply by February 8, 2009 |
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| Business Application, Apply by November 15, 2008 |
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Publications and Reports
| “It is a great opportunity for real-world experience in which you have a project that is all your own and you see everything from start to finish. It is a very rewarding experience seeing your ideas actually being implemented.”
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| “I felt like my input was really valued, and I became an important member of the team. It was very satisfying to know that some of my recommendations are already in place and others will also be implemented in the near future. I felt like I made a real difference!”
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| “The P2 program has given me a lot of real world experience in learning how business works. I have met many new people and this program has opened up many new networking opportunities.”
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| “The quality of the experience for the intern is very high. There was a definite, measurable progress throughout the internship with tangible results. The process was consistent with expectations and responsibilities of a professional engineer.”
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DNR Contact
Danielle Dilks
(515) 281-8063
Danielle.Dilks@dnr.iowa.gov
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