Regional Environmental Intern

Please Note: This Internship is open only to U.S. Citizens who are currently enrolled in a degree seeking program (Undergraduate or Graduate Study). Interns must be students (Part or Full time) at the time of their Internship.

The U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance (OEPC), is seeking interns to engage in environmental policy work. OEPC provides national and regional leadership in coordination and development of policy and program evaluation related to natural resources and the natural environment. 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's 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.

Position Overview:

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, reviewing proposed agency actions, cooperating with EPA personnel on projects, and updating the status of the Department of the Interior's activities.

You will have a hand in several of OEPC's ongoing projects, which include Water Policy, Air Quality, Energy Regulations, Environmental Impact Statement Review, U.S. Mexico Border Cooperation, Hazardous Waste Cleanup and Response, and Regional Response Team activities.

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

Compensation: Assignments are unpaid, last from 3 months (40 hours per week) OR 6 months (minimum 24 hours per week), and can involve work on one or multiple projects. 4 hours per week may be completed outside the office, but these hours are granted for special circumstances and special projects and/or meetings. 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.

To Apply: 

If you are interested in obtaining further information about the internship, please send your resume and a cover letter to Patricia Port.

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

Please note the following:

• This internship is only open to US citizens.
• Eligible applicants must be degree-seeking students (undergraduate or graduate level).
• We are currently accepting applications on a rolling basis for internships starting January 2012.