LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY | Secretary Aurelia S. Giacometto
A DEPARTMENT OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
About LEAP
In 2024, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) launched the Louisiana Environmental Ambassadors Program (LEAP). Now more than ever, Louisiana needs dedicated environmental professionals. LEAP interns will gain knowledge beyond the classroom, skill development, opportunities to explore career paths, and the chance to contribute to a sustainable future.
LEAP internships allow students to experience real-world opportunities in environmental management, accounting, communications, environmental law, and more. This program provides exposure to encourage students to pursue environmental and related careers.
LEAP engages students at the graduate and undergraduate levels in their relevant studies. Provides them with challenging work experience and exposure to environmental regulatory processes and the business operations of a governmental entity.
Hear What the Inaugural Class of 2024 Had to Say About LEAP:“It has opened my mind to even more possibilities than I imagined. It has cemented my desire to remain in my major.”
“It affirmed what I want to do in the future career wise and what I need to work on to get there.”
“I liked that at the end of the day, we learned to love each other and work as a team.”
“I'll keep these friendships, lessons, and memories for the rest of my life. It gave me a better understanding of what work life looked like, and I was able to figure out what parts of a job I really value (like the culture, the challenges, and opportunity to learn). It was also interesting learning about the parts of life that go unseen, like who regulates pollution and how wastewater gets treated. It was valuable getting to see behind the scenes.”
DEQ Professionals Serving as Mentors Are All In Too:“I think the program is an amazing opportunity for those who want to learn.”
“My intern helped complete a very big project.”
“I enjoyed the energy the interns brought to the office.”
“I felt that all the students were interested, engaged, and bright. The end of the session presentations were fantastic! They seemed to be a close knit group so whatever team building activities were done really helped!”
“The program as a whole was great! I was impressed with how organized it was and what all was included in the program. From watching the various presentation, it was a very positive experience for the majority.”
I really enjoyed “Being an influence on a student that could be a potential DEQ employee and answering questions”
“Enjoyed working with youth interested in this field of work.”
“I enjoyed teaching and mentoring someone in college.”
Eligible Participants
LEAP is open to students at graduate and undergraduate levels in fields of study appropriate for their placement. These fields include:
A GPA of 3.0 or higher is required and enrollment verification is required. The LEAP will last for 8-10 weeks with students working 40 hours/week. This is an internship offered by LDEQ. Course credit or compensation is provided. To learn more about the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and our organizational structure, please visit our website at www.deq.louisiana.gov.
LEAP programs include:
Internship Highlights
Statistics on Inaugural Class of 2024
LEAP Press Releases
On June 3, 2024, the Louisiana Department of Environme Quality (LDEQ) welcomed twelve new student interns to the agency through its newly introduced Louisiana Environmental Ambassadors Program (LEAP). Read more.
Today, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) in partnership with the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC) announced their joint efforts to launch the inauguration of the Louisiana Environmental Ambassadors Program (LEAP) internship program for undergraduate and graduates students statewide and nationally. Read more.
LEAP Opportunities
LEAP students will have the opportunity to be placed in one of the following areas within the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ). Each area provides a unique perspective, allowing students to develop their skills and gain experience that is essential for a successful career in environmental science and management:
The Air Permits Division (APD) ensures the protection of air quality by issuing permits protective of human health and the environment. The APD maintains and protects Louisiana’s environment and natural resources by conducting comprehensive technical evaluations of incoming air permit applications.
Audit Services conducts performance, operational, investigative, and financial audits of the operations of the Department. Also, Audit Services audits those private entities that do not appear to be paying fees to the Department on a self-reporting basis.
Communications handles all media functions including media inquiries, press releases, the LDEQ website, Facebook, X (Twitter) and YouTube. These activities provide valuable information to the public on LDEQ environmental activities that are of interest to or that impact them.
The Emergency and Radiological Services Division responds to chemical and environmental emergencies, provides a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for reporting spills and complaints to the Department, and provides administrative services for radiation sources. Emergency Response (ER) conducts monitoring at incidents where chemicals have been released or have the potential to be released into the environment or to affect public health.
Enforcement ensures compliance with the environmental permitting laws and regulations and to deter future non-compliance by issuing the appropriate enforcement actions, thus encouraging a level playing field. Enforcement activity strives to ensure that the government, the private sector, and the public comply with federal and state laws designed to protect human health and the environment and sustain the environmental resources of the state.
Financial and Administrative Services includes Budget & Expenditure Reporting, Accounts Payable, Employee Travel Reimbursements, Billing & Data Management, Accounts Receivable, Funds Management, Grant Processing and Expenditure Reporting, Revolving Loan Financial Processing and Reporting, Contract Processing and Management, Procurement, and Motor Fuel Trust Fund Reimbursement Processing.
The Public Participation and Permit Support Division (PPPSD) function is to facilitate public participation and provide administrative, database and certification notifications support to the media based permit divisions. PPPSD consists of two sections: Permit Support and LELAP (Louisiana Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program) Section (PLS) and Notifications and Accreditations Section (NAS).
Surveillance inspects facilities for compliance with their permits or other authorizations and responds to complaints. Surveillance activities include mandated compliance inspections, incident and complaint investigations, and water sampling.
LDEQ’s UAS program utilizes pilots across the state to perform remote sensing duties for inspections, emergency response, and more. The program operates multiple aircraft and many different sensors in order to provide staff with a variety of data. With capabilities like thermal imagery, water sampling, air analysis, high-resolution mapping, live streaming, and more, the UAS program is able to support all aspects of LDEQ’s environmental mission.
Waste Permits Division (WSTPD) ensures the protection of the soil and groundwater resources by issuing permits and standards that are protective of human health and the environment. WSTPD performs comprehensive technical reviews of permit requests and regulatory determinations for generators, processors, and disposers of solid and hazardous waste.
Contact Information
If you have any questions about LEAP, please reach out to our team at leap@la.gov.