The 2015 Illinois EPA Pollution Prevention interns took a break from their training in Springfield on May 19 to pose for a group photo. Participating are (kneeling from left) Vicky Mei, Michael Roberts, Joanne Moliski, Michael Simpkins, Allan Tucker, (standing from left) Agency Director Lisa Bonnett, Lucas Roat, Agency Deputy Director Ryan McCreery, Taylor Gawthorp, Tad Logullo, Jason Yobby, Guru Harsha Pandeti, Antwan Boulden, Keith Cordero, Michael Cunningham, P2 Program Coordinator Rick Reese and Assistant to the Director Sherrie Elzinga. Not pictured are Brock Bursott and Kyle Berkhof. Photo by Bob Wiatrolik, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director Lisa Bonnett announced the start of the 2015 Pollution Prevention Internship Program.  The program, which began in 1989, recruits upper-level university students to work on pollution prevention projects over a 12-week summer internship. Today is the first day for Pollution Prevention (P2) interns to begin work at their host facilities, following a week of in-depth training at Illinois EPA headquarters.

The purpose of the student internship program is to help facilities reduce environmental impacts, improve efficiencies and reduce costs.  The program is also designed to provide college students with practical work experience and the opportunity to improve the environment.

“Through this program, Illinois EPA is able to provide these future professionals with ‘hands-on’ learning opportunities and real-world business experience,” said Director Bonnett. “Through the work of these interns, participating companies are able to reduce energy costs, divert solid and hazardous wastes from landfills, and conserve millions of gallons of water, benefiting both the companies and the environment.”

The selected students typically have backgrounds in engineering or environmental management.  Each student must complete a one-week training class with Illinois EPA that focuses on topics such as net zero waste, energy efficiency, water conservation, process mapping and renewable energy.  Having completed the P2 training program, which began May 18 in Springfield, students will now spend the remainder of the 12-week summer session working as temporary, full-time employees at the sponsoring facilities.

Illinois EPA recruits, trains and pays a portion of the intern salaries through a cost-sharing arrangement with participating facilities.  The host facilities will provide oversight and monitor their performance. The P2 interns must prepare and submit bi-weekly reports.

During the summer of 2014, 14 P2 interns made recommendations that potentially saved the participating host facilities over $250,000.  This cumulative savings included reduced operating and disposal costs, as well as energy reduction costs.

The students, disciplines and universities, companies they will be working for and hometowns are:

• Michael Cunningham, Chicago, environmental engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will be interning at Ahlstrom, Taylorville.
• Michael Simpkins, Chicago, chemical engineering, University of Missouri at Columbia, will be interning at BASF Chemical, Kankakee.
• Guru Harsha Pandeti, Peoria, mechanical engineering, Bradley University, will be interning at Caterpillar Technical Center, Mossville.
• Lucas Roat, Tinley Park, environmental engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology – Chicago, will be interning at Clark, St. Charles.
• Kyle Berkhof, Gurnee, mechanical engineering, Northern Illinois University, will be interning at College of Lake County/IGEN, Grayslake.
• Jason Yobby, Collinsville, mechanical engineering, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, will be interning at Eaton B-Line, Highland.
• Tad Logullo, Greenville, mechanical engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will be interning at Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, Greenville.
• Taylor Gawthorp, Peoria, mechanical engineering, Bradley University, will be interning at Moraine Valley Community College, Palos Hills.
• Brock Bursott, Metamora, mechanical engineering, Bradley University, will be interning at Mueller Company, Decatur.
• Vicky Mei, Chicago, chemical engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, will be interning at National Corn-to-Ethanol Center, Edwardsville.
• Michael Roberts, Athens, mechanical engineering, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, will be interning at Pinnacle Foods, St. Elmo.
• Keith Cordero, Homewood, mechanical engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology – Chicago, will be interning at The Plant, Chicago.
• Antwan Boulden, Chicago, civil engineering, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, will be interning at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.
• Allan Tucker, Algonquin, chemical engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, will be interning at University of Illinois, Chicago.
• Joanne Moliski, Chicago, industrial engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, will be interning at University of Illinois, Chicago.