Grinnell College among companies teaming up with Pollution Prevention Intern

DES MOINES — Five Iowa businesses have teamed with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ Pollution Prevention Intern Program this summer to increase the efficiency of their operations and reduce associated costs.

Upper-level engineering students work on-site at their assigned company to conduct in-depth assessments, analyze data, research pollution prevention strategies and provide calculated recommendations.

Companies use the data to make decisions to meet their environmental performance goals.

Companies participating in the 2025 P2 Intern Program are Grinnell College; Kemin Industries, in Des Moines; Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America, Inc., in Eddyville; JBS USA, LLC, in Marshalltown; and JBS Swift Pork, in Ottumwa.

"Pollution Prevention or 'P2' is the process of going back up the pipe to identify the root cause of inefficiency and applying source-reduction strategies to reduce or eliminate waste in a process or system,” says Jeff Fiagle, Team Lead for the DNR’s P2 Services team.

Technical advisers with the P2 Intern Program provide training and oversight to the interns seeking long-term solutions for the host companies to improve environmental performance and bolster profits.

Since 2001, more than 200 Iowa companies, hospitals, universities and government agencies have teamed with the P2 Intern Program, accumulating more than $122.5 million in savings from using resources more efficiently and improving environmental performance.

The program has achieved remarkable environmental benefits, resulting in a reduction of 6.5 billion gallons of water, 286,763 tons of solid and special waste, 10,493 tons of hazardous waste, 518.5 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and 27 million therms of energy.

Funding for the P2 Intern Program comes from federal grants, portions of solid waste tonnage fees and cost shares provided by the host companies.

Pollution Prevention Services offers confidential, non-regulatory technical assistance that includes assessments, infrared thermographic analysis, assistance in developing Environmental Management Systems, workshops, an equipment loan program and access to an electronic library of technical resources.

These services are provided at no cost to assist companies in reducing expenses through source-reduction strategies, enhancing process efficiency, and minimizing or eliminating waste.