EPA Summer Internship in Financial Assurance
*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.
One or more undergraduate summer opportunities are available with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (ORCR). The appointments will be served remotely but are associated with the office located in the Arlington, Virginia and Washington, DC area.
The participant will learn from EPA's Financial Assurance staff, staff from other EPA headquarters program offices, EPA regional staff and State Agency staff on a variety of activities and projects. The participant will have an excellent opportunity to learn and participate in EPA rulemaking process, learn about the various EPA "polluter pays" programs and efforts while assisting the RCRA Financial Assurance team.
ORCR encourages applicants with a diverse range of educational backgrounds and experiences for these learning opportunities. EPA's RCRA Financial Assurance Program works with States, EPA Regions and other EPA HQ offices to manage and oversee a range of "polluter pays" programs to ensure the polluter–not the taxpayer- pays for the cleanup hazardous waste sites across the country. The Financial Assurance team is currently focused on a series of high-profile financial assurance rulemakings, direct implementation of financial assurance requirements at certain facilities, and management of the RCRA financial assurance program – the cornerstone of many EPA financial assurance programs.
Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will be involved in projects, in accordance with his/her preferences, such as:
- Researching various financial assurance topics related to interpretations and/or rulemakings.
- Coordinating with States and Regions on various financial assurance matters.
- Modernizing the cataloguing and organizing of program files for easy access and retention.
- Analyzing program, market and sector data and information and preparing analyses and graphics regarding financial assurance, economic, financial or programmatic topics.
- Contributing to the development of training materials conveying improvements in and new products of the RCRA Financial Assurance program.
The specific areas will be agreed upon in the first weeks of their internships and will be based on a matching of skill sets and interests.
The coordinator for this opportunity is Shawna Bergman (bergman.shawna@epa.gov).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: Summer 2021
This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and EPA. The appointment length is for four months. The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. We anticipated the stipend to be approximately $2,960 per month. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Participants do not become employees of EPA, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits.
If you have questions, send an email to EPArpp@orau.org. Please include the reference code for this opportunity (EPA-OLEM-ORCR-2021-01) in your email.