DES MOINES – Eleven businesses will participate in DNR’s 2018 Pollution Prevention (P2) Intern Program. Upper-level college and university students work on-site at Iowa companies for 12- or 24-week paid internships to research solutions and implement pollution prevention strategies that will increase efficiency, reduce costs and help meet companies’ environmental goals.
Since 2001, more than 180 Iowa companies, hospitals, universities and government agencies have participated in the unique program, accumulating more than $87.9 million in savings as a result of using resources more efficiently and improving environmental performance.
Environmental benefits achieved include the reduction of:
- 4.87 billion gallons of water;
- 238,800 tons of solid waste;
- 8,646 tons of hazardous waste;
- 392.4 million kilowatt hours of electricity;
- 11.5 million therms of energy.
Companies participating in the 2018 program (listed alphabetically by town):
Ames: Hach
Charles City: Cambrex
Charles City: Zoetis
Decorah: Stanley Engineered Fastening
Harlan: Monogram Processed Meats
Marshalltown: JBS USA, LLC
Mason City: Smithfield Mason City
Ottumwa: JBS Swift Pork
Sioux City: Smithfield Packaged Meats Corp.
Wever: Iowa Fertilizer Company
Woodward: Woodward Resource Center
Funding for the P2 Intern Program includes federal grants, portions of solid waste tonnage fees and cost share contributed by the host companies.
Pollution Prevention Services also provides confidential, non-regulatory, environmental technical assistance in the form of assessments, Environmental Management Systems development assistance, workshops, and access to the P2 Resource Library. These services are offered at no-cost to help companies reduce expenses through source-reduction strategies to improve process efficiency and reduce or eliminate waste.
For more information on the Pollution Prevention Intern Program and a list of 2018 projects, visit: www.iowap2interns.com. Case summaries of the 2018 projects will be posted to this site in the fall.