P3 - 2005 Project Overview

In the summer of 2005, 18 student interns participated in UNL’s Partners in Pollution Prevention Program. During the summer’s program, students worked with businesses to research methods of reducing waste and preventing pollution. They also assisted with a wide variety of environmental projects focusing on education, energy efficiency, water conservation and waste management. Each student prepared a report of their proposed improvements, detailing the economic and environmental benefits from their work.

The following project overviews describe the interns' projects and recommendations.

Industrial Placement (one student-one business)

1. Tanner Augustin – A Health Care System in Nebraska
   Reduce water and solvent use through a comprehensive waste assessment of operations and identification of new mopping system.
2. Blake Coleman – Molex, Inc.
   Perform a comprehensive energy assessment of the facility focusing on cooling tower motors and compressed air use.
3. Aaron Davis - Lozier
   Minimize powder paint waste through additional reclamation of waste, establishing paint coat thickness standards, and minimizing line gaps.
4. Hunter Flodman – ADM Corn Processing
   Reduce landfill waste by identifying alternative recycling options for wastewater biosolids, corncobs and wood waste.
5. Randy Preuss – Behlen Manufacturing Company
   Investigate improvements to paint processes to save chemicals and enhance product quality.
6. Joshua Dodson – Haskell Agricultural Laboratory
   Collect data to document the effectiveness of new irrigation practices for corn.
7. Afton Thumser – Pfizer
   Improve colleague involvement in environmental program through suggestion program and implement fiber drum, plastic bucket and glass bottle recycling.

Small Business (one student-several regional businesses)

1. Germana Nunes
   Evaluate opportunities to reduce environmental impacts from a local apartment complex.
2. Brian Ladd
   Provide assistance and education in whole farm nutrient management assessment to livestock producers in Cuming County, Nebraska.
3. Mike Venteicher
   Aid livestock producers in nitrogen and phosphorus management and presented pollution prevention education through television, radio and print media in the North Platte, Nebraska area.
4. Katie Milius
   Conserve water and save money from improvements to landscape sprinkler system at a local bank complex.
5. Gina Rust
   Research alternative environmentally-friendly treatment methods for arsenic and uranium in drinking water.
6. Rebecca Hitz
   Review energy efficient alternative equipment for University of Nebraska-Lincoln Environmental Engineering Laboratory.
7. Joel Stenberg
   Evaluate and recommend improvements to livestock operations for commercial fertilizer and manure management.

Industrial Assistance (team of students-complex industrial projects)

1. Brad Bloomquist
   Redesign hazardous waste storage area to minimize potential release from sprinkler system malfunctions and identified improvement to compressed air systems.
2. Chad Cecrle
   Research compost as an erosion control method and propose metal, wood and cardboard recycling alternatives.
3. Erin Hauber
   Coordinate comprehensive waste assessment for all City of Lincoln Parks and Recreation Maintenance facilities.
4. Sydney Quinn
   Evaluate opportunities to reduce environmental and cost impacts from air compressor efficiency, equipment insulation, cooling water recycling, plastic recycling, solvent use and electrical efficiencies.