Environmental Health Issues in the Midwest: A Two-Day Workshop October 21-23, 2007 Coralville, IA
Home About Us Contact Us Research & Facilities COEC Pilot Grant Program Center Members History & Highlights Publications	"Environmental Health Issues in the Midwest: A Two-Day Workshop for Midwest State Legislators" was held at the Coralville Marriott in Coralville, Iowa on October 21-23, 2007. The overarching goal of the workshop was to translate environmental health research into knowledge that is important to Midwestern legislators. Four environmental health topics most relevant to the scientific mission of the EHSRC and the Iowa Superfund Basic Research Program (isbrp), all of which relate to environmental health in the Midwest, were addressed: 1. the environmental effects of Confined Animal Feeding Operations, 2) polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination in the Great Lakes region 3. the health effects of mercury and its reduction through increased renewable energy production, and 4. radon incidence and mitigation. The workshop was attended by 10 legislators and four legislative staff members from the states of Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Illinois, Wisconsin and Missouri, four staff members from EPA Regions 5 and 7, eight members of the EHSRC's Community Outreach and Education Stakeholder Advisory Board, three staff from Iowa environmental agencies including the director of the Governor's recently established Iowa Office of Energy Independence, other expert researchers from the University of isbrp, Environmental Health graduate students and other interested participants. The EHSRC and the isbrp co-sponsored the workshop with the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). It was organized to have both informational panels and interactive sessions, and the scientific sessions themselves were highly interactive as well. Contacts established at this meeting have already led to planned outreach opportunities. A new member of the EHSRC External Advisory Panel made contacts with the NCSL which could potentially lead to similar workshops in the Southwest. The Chair of the Iowa House Energy and Environment Committee expressed interest in having several workshop presenters speak to his committee meetings when the legislative session begins in January 2008. Several members of cancer survivor organizations made contacts with EPA Region 7 and with Professor Bill Field of the EHSRC, which have enormous potential for outreach through our center and for the EPA on radon. Many legislators stated that this workshop gave them new insights into environmental health topics of concern to Midwestern populations. One legislator made the point that these issues are inter-state concerns, and that this forum provided an opportunity to work together as a region on the environmental health issues that are relevant to all of our Midwestern states.
	ADDITIONAL INFORMATION For additional information about the workshop, contact:
	Nancy Newkirk Coordinator, Environmental Health Sciences Research Center 100 Oakdale Campus, 178 IREH Iowa City, IA  52242 TEL:  (319) 335-4756 FAX:  (319) 335-4006 nancy-newkirk@uiowa.edu
	This conference is sponsored by: The Environmental Health Sciences Research Center, The University of Iowa The Iowa Basic Superfund Research Program, The University of Iowa The National Conference of State Legislatures, Denver, Colorado The American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists, Fletcher, NC

CONFERENCE AGENDA

Day 1 Sunday October 21

5:30 – 6:30                                            Dinner

6:30 – 7:00                                            Keynote:
                        Introduction                   James Merchant, Dean of the College of Public Health
                        Address                        Rich Hood, Associate Regional Administrator for Media and Intergovernmental Relations, EPA Region 7

7:00 – 8:30                                            How do Legislators define environmental health?
                      Facilitation                       Doug Farquhar, Environmental Health Program Director, NCSL
                                                              David Osterberg, University of Iowa & former Chair Iowa House Energy and Environment Committee

Day 2 Monday October 22
7:30 - 8:30                                             Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 8:45                                            Introduction and Welcome                                            
                      Science and Policy          Meredith Hay, Vice President for Research
                                                              University of Iowa        
           
8:45 – 9:30                                            Setting the state environmental agenda
                      Science and Politics         Daniel Persky, Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Illinois

9:30 –9:45                                             BREAK

 9:45 – 10:45                                         Radon in the Midwest
                                                              Moderator: Rep. Donovan Olson, IA
                      Radon in the Midwest      Dr. William Field, University of Iowa, EHSRC
                      EPA’s new initiative          Greg Crable, Region 7 US EPA

10:45 – 12:00                                        Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
                                                              Moderator: Rep. Spencer Black, WI
                     Airborne PCBs                 Dr. Larry Robertson, U of Iowa Superfund Basic Research Program
                     Indiana Harbor                 Dave Wethington, US Army Corps of Engineers
                     Great Lakes PCBs           Dr. Keri Hornbuckle, U of Iowa Superfund Basic Research Program
                       
12:00 – 1:30                                           LUNCH
                      Keynote                            Roya Stanley, Director Iowa Energy Independence

1:30 – 2:30                                            How legislators get information on environmental health
                                                              Roundtable of state legislators and staff
                                                           
2:30 – 3:30                                            Renewable Energy & Reducing Mercury:
                                                              Moderator: Rep. Karen May, IL
                      Mercury Epidemiology     Dr. Victoria Persky, University of Illinois-Chicago, Superfund Basic Research Program
                     Renewable Midwest         Melissa Hulting, Region 5 USEPA

3:30 – 3:45                                            BREAK

3:45 – 4:45                                            Panel Discussions - All Panelists and Moderators                                   
5:30 – 7:00                                            RECEPTION at the Hotel

                                                              ADJOURN FOR DAY

Day 3 Tuesday October 23
8:00 - 9:00                                             Continental Breakfast

9:00 – 10:30                                          Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations
                                                              Moderator: Senator Don Preister, NE
                     EU v. US Regulation         Dr. Peter S. Thorne, U of Iowa, Director, EHSRC
                     Industry Changes             (Invited), National Pork Producers Council, National Pork Producers Association
                     Antibiotic Resistance        Dr. David Wallinga, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Minneapolis, MN
                                                                       
10:30 – 10:45                                         BREAK
                       
10:45 – 12:00                                         Overview of state policy on environmental Policy Issues: Following up, what issues, when, where
                                                              Moderators
                                                              Rep. Karen May, IL
                                                              Senator Don Preister, NE
                                                              Rep. Donovan Olson, IA
                                                              Rep. Spencer Black, WI

                                                               ADJOURN WORKSHOP

Environmental Health Sciences Research Center, The University of Iowa, 100 Oakdale Campus, #178 IREH, Iowa City, IA 52242

Tel: (319) 335-4756 / Fax: (319) 335-4225 / E-mail: nancy-newkirk@uiowa.edu