Regional Environmental Intern

~ Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance (OEPC) provides national and regional leadership in coordination and development of policy and program evaluation related to natural resources and the natural environmental. ~

To ensure the Department of the Interior acts as one entity, OEPC coordinates and unifies response on environmental and natural resource issues that affect multiple Federal bureaus.

OEPC' mission is to actively foster cooperation among Department of the Interior's bureaus and other Federal and state agencies, to encourage joint initiatives, and to stimulate consideration of environmental and natural resource aspects of any proposed or continuing project or undertaking.

The office provides independent environmental and technical advice to the Interior Secretary, Deputy Secretary and Assistant Secretary, and acts as an advocate for programs that enable bureaus to accomplish their missions in an efficient and effective manner.

Assignments are unpaid, begin the fall term (minimum 20 hours per week), and can involve work on one or multiple projects. Schedules are flexible. Interns must be available to travel locally to attend meetings related to their projects or other topics of interest. Guidance is provided, but OEPC is looking for interns willing to take initiative.  

Internship Overview

The United States Department of the Interior, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance (OEPC), is seeking an intern to engage in environmental policy work at its Atlanta, Georgia office.

Interns gain contacts in the Georgia and national environmental communities, knowledge of ongoing projects and policy developments, outstanding interviewing and coordinating skills, documents analysis and critique skills, public speaking practice, and an understanding of government agencies, all in a supportive and flexible environment.

Responsibilities 

As an intern with OEPC, you will become an integral part of the functioning of the office, and will be responsible for: 

• Understanding existing and evolving environmental laws, regulations and resources;
• Coordinating with Department of the Interior bureaus and other Federal, state and tribal agencies;
• Critically analyzing status reports;
• Review proposed agency actions;
• Cooperate with EPA personnel on projects; 
• Updating the status of the Department of the Interior's activities;
• Interns work on a range of topics from climate change to sustainable practices, National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) and environmental compliance to activities associated with cleanups of hazardous materials, and emergency response actions;
• Potential day-to-day projects could involve attending meetings with other agencies including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA);
• Within the Department, interns will have the opportunity to interact with bureau personnel from the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other offices within Office of the Secretary; and 
• The student will have a hand in several of OEPC's ongoing projects, which include Water Policy, Air Quality, Energy Regulations, Environmental Impact Statement Review, Hazardous Waste Cleanup and Response, and Regional Response Team activities. 

Application Information 

Our office welcomes any and all interns but especially those with an interest in environmental policy, economics, public policy or applied science.

For more information about our office, click here - and also, check out this page. As with all federal agencies, accepted interns will need to have a standard background check completed before they can begin work at the agency. 

The applicant must meet the following requirements: 

• Be a United States citizen
• Be enrolled in a college or university and receiving school credits or accepted in college for the subsequent semester (e.g. graduate school)  

Compensation: This is an unpaid internship only and provides an opportunity to gain experience and if the college allows, school credit.  

To Apply 

• Please click below "Apply Now Online" to email a cover letter with resume indicating reason(s) for interest in interning with the Department.
• If selected for the position, the applicant must pass a security clearance (fingerprint and background check).
• An official college transcript and references will be requested during this process.
• Applicants must submit documents no later than May 31, 2016. 

Thank you for your interest in an internship with the United States
Department of the Interior.