It is only my second week interning for Smith Management Group and I have already learned so much! Last week I worked mainly on researching Phase 1 standards and procedures and putting together photo logs of ongoing projects. This week I was able to go on-site with Sara Smith, SMG’s president, and Sarah Carty, an Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) specialist, to perform a walkthrough of a property. The walkthrough consisted of an introduction to the clients, determining and drawing out property lines, interviewing employees to get a better historical background of the property, and of course actually walking the entire property while also photo documenting sites. This process took the entire day to complete! I was then asked to create a photo log using the pictures we took that day; and since I was involved in the documentation process I had a better understanding of what I was putting together in the log.
I also worked on a research project about the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), and what specific standards and procedures pertained to Region 4 (which includes Kentucky). After speaking with EPA’s TSCA coordinators, reading documents about the compliance monitoring strategy for TSCA, and screening through the EPA’s Enforcement & Compliance History Online (ECHO) site, I had a much better understanding of what purpose TSCA served and when it was implemented.
This week I had a lot of hands on opportunities and learned a lot about regulations that keep our environment healthy! I look forward to what experience next week has in store!