EU Enlargement and Technology Transfer to New Member States, November 2005

The European Union (EU) accomplished its biggest enlargement process in 2004 in terms of the number of countries, area, and population. This study focuses on the impact of enlargement, the resulting technology transfer on the grain sectors of the New Member States (NMS), and the consequent welfare implications. The study finds that EU enlargement has important implications for the EU and the NMS, but its impact on the world grain markets is minimal. The results show that producers in the NMS gain from accession because of higher prices, whereas consumers in most NMS face a welfare loss. Incorporating technology transfer into the accession increases the welfare gain of producers despite falling prices because of the larger supply shift. The loss of welfare for consumers in most NMS is lower in this case because of the decline in grain prices.

Understanding Insurance Company Financial Stability Ratings, January 2007

Choosing a financially strong insurance company is important when buying health insurance. You want the company to still be in business when you have claims, which can be 20 to 30 years from now. Insurance companies selling insurance in Iowa have met the minimum legal standards to be licensed by the State of Iowa Insurance Division. This licensure doesn’t mean the company has a high financial stability rating. Several independent rating agencies evaluate the financial stability of insurance companies. The rating for an individual insurance company is an opinion as to its financial strength and ability to pay claims in the future. When evaluating a company, a rating agency may consider a company's balance sheet strength, operating performance and business management and strategies.

Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System Member Handbook Supplement, July 2010

In 2010, the state legislature and the governor approved changes to the IPERS plan. Important changes will apply to most IPERS members, but the changes are not effective until July 1, 2012. A few changes were effective immediately but did not affect most IPERS members. Because most of the IPERS plan is unchanged, IPERS published the law changes as a supplement to the IPERS Member Handbook. The IPERS Member Handbook remains effective until July 1, 2012. View the supplement as an addendum to the IPERS Member Handbook dated May 2009.

Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System Member Handbook, September 2011

The IPERS Member Handbook summarizes the retirement plan that is provided for most employees of Iowa’s schools, cities, counties, townships, state agencies, and other governmental units. This publication explains the rights and benefits of IPERS membership in as clear and useful a manner as possible; however, it is not intended to be a complete presentation of the IPERS law and policies. Benefits provided under IPERS differ for Special service members—sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, and those working in other protection occupations, such as firefighters, police, correctional officers, and conservation officers. This publication explains what these differences are. To help you find information that applies only to you, IPERS also publishes a variety of booklets and brochures to guide you through IPERS benefits at specific stages of your career, from membership enrollment to retirement. These educational resources are available for viewing or printing from our website at www.ipers.org. You may also contact IPERS and request a free printed copy. Alternative formats containing the information in this publication are available upon request. Note: This publication reflects the law as of July 2011. Some provisions will become effective at later dates, as noted. Any inconsistencies or inadvertent omissions will be resolved in favor of the law.

Disaster Behavioral Health Response Team Member Qualities, 2010

This document states the qualities that is desired for team members that would be on the disaster behavioral health response teams. Produced by the Iowa Department of Human Services.

July 2009 Rail Company Abandonment Plans Map, 2009

This is a map of railroad lines in Iowa under study to be abandoned.

Iowa Historic Property Study: Iowana Farms Milk Company, 1416 State Street, City of Bettendorf, Scott County, Iowa, 2012

The Iowana Farms Milk Company factory building was considered to retain sufficient integrity and possess sufficient significance to be considered eligible for the National Register of Historic Places under Criteria A and C for its historical and architectural significance in the Bettendorf community. The Iowana Farms Milk Company was an important early to mid-twentieth-century business in Bettendorf, and was among the few that was not owned or operated by the Bettendorf Company. It was a strong and thriving business for many years, and its products were well known in the Quad Cities region. The importance of this property becomes even more significant when one considers that most of the buildings once associated with the actual Bettendorf Company, which was undeniably the most important business and industry in town, are now gone. As a result, the Iowana Farms Milk Company factory building was a physical vestige of the once-thriving commercial industries that made Bettendorf into a city in the twentieth century. This property was further significant for its representation of the evolution of the dairy industry in the twentieth century from farm to factory production. It also reflected the changes to the industry based on scientific discoveries, mechanical innovations, and governmental regulations related to improved sanitation and the pure milk movement. The Iowana Farms Milk Company represented a model plant for the time, and the marketing strategies it employed followed the trends of the industry. The Iowana Farms Milk Company plant had to be removed to make room for a new I-74 bridge over the Mississippi River at Bettendorf. The construction of the new bridge also required removal of the historic Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge. The documentation reported herein and for that of the Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge fulfills the requirements of the Memorandum of Agreement regarding the removal of these historic properties.

Letter health consultation : Manganese emissions from Amsted Rail Company, Inc. (Griffin Wheel Facility) Keokuk, Iowa (2010)

This letter has been prepared as a consultation to evaluate human health impacts from manganese emissions from the Amsted Rail Company, Inc. (Griffin Wheel) facility located in Keokuk, Iowa. We understand your concern and the concern of the Keokuk community, and want you to know that the Iowa Department of Public Health’s priority is to ensure that you have the best information possible to safeguard the health of the citizens of Keokuk. That information is included in the following discussion.

Letter health consultation : Northwest States Portland Cement Company site, site, Mason City, Iowa EPA facility ID: IAD98053431 (2008)

This letter has been prepared as a consultation to EPA regarding the third five year review of the Northwestern States Portland Cement Company Site, located North of Mason City, Iowa in Cerro Gordo County to provide an evaluation of the public health status of the site.

Health consultation : Mid-America Tanning Company, Sergeant Bluff, Woodbury County, Iowa EPA facility ID: IAD085824688 (2005)

On June 23, 2004, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its intention to remove the Mid-American Tanning Company site from the National Priorities List (NPL). The EPA is inviting public comment on the proposed de-listing of the site from the NPL. The Iowa Department of Public Health in cooperation with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) prepared this health consultation to review the current status of the Mid-America Tanning Company site and to provide an evaluation of any public health consequences of de-listing the site. The information in this health consultation was current at the time of writing. Data that emerges later could alter this document’s conclusions and recommendations.