I joined the Orange County Environmental Protection Division (EPD) in May as a Development Review Program (DRP) intern. My main task is to work on the filing project. I review development project folders stored in the rolling file cabinet, organize the documents, record them in a spreadsheet and box them to be digitized. Having historical documentation accessible on the LDMS database will simplify the research process for the DRP team and I am happy to help them with this project! I have learned a lot about the development review process and I experienced it first hand when I attended a Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC) public hearing. 

Furthermore, I have shadowed multiple staff to learn about all the great and varied work being done at EPD! I visited the Orange County Household Hazardous Waste site and a transfer station, which were great opportunities because waste diversion efforts have been a longstanding interest of mine. Additionally, I toured the Water Sciences Lab, where the wonderful lab team gave a demonstration of the tests they run and showed me their herbarium project. I have also been to the Winter Park Air Monitoring Station with the Air Quality Management team, as well as visited the Econ Mitigation Bank property with Green PLACE. My favorite part was seeing endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers and lots of interesting plants out on the property! All in all, I have loved my time here at EPD and am so grateful for all the learning opportunities. I highly recommend the internship program to anyone who is considering applying! I will graduate in August from the University of Central Florida with my Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, but I do hope my path will cross with EPD again someday.

If you’re concerned about noise, you are not alone. Recently, several Orange County residents expressed concerns about the County’s current Noise Pollution Control Ordinance including existing noise standards and enforcement response. As a result, the Environmental Protection Division is looking for ways to improve the ordinance, and we want to hear from you. 

We put everything you need to become an informed participant on our webpage. You can share ideas, find upcoming meetings, review the current code, access policy studies, read stakeholder comments and more.

Join us in shaping a more harmonious community. Visit our webpage today and be part of the conversation. 

Would you like to learn more about the Orange County Environmental Protection Division (EPD)? EPD is excited to share a variety of information about events, sustainability, the Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge, regulatory updates, lake management, water quality and more! If you would like to be included on the email list, please fill out this brief sign-up form.