Developing an Effective Construction Training Program for Hispanic Supervisors and Craft Workers, January 2004

Hispanics make up a growing percentage of the craft workers entering the construction industry, and this has created several challenges for American construction companies. This study addresses the situation by investigating training needs for Hispanic construction craft workers and developing a training program for them within the industry. In order to evaluate current craft workers’ conditions within the construction industry, Iowa State University researchers conducted a survey, with 98 Hispanic craft workers as respondents from 10 construction companies, to determine current working conditions. The results confirm that the language barrier is an obstacle for both the Hispanic workers and the English-speaking employees involved in construction projects. As a part of this research, two training courses were designed to help both American construction companies and their Hispanic labor force to overcome the barriers that keep them from succeeding safely and productively. A training course titled English as a Second Language Survival Course was developed to facilitate basic communication between Hispanic workers and their American supervisors using construction-focused terminology. This course was delivered once as a trial run for a two-hour duration and twice for a full-length duration of eight hours. Important feedback was obtained from participants as part of the evaluations of the course. “How much of the course contents will be useful in your working environment” was asked; 40% of workers said “all of it” and 60% said “most of it.” Another question was “Was it worth taking the time to attend the course?” to which 94% answered “definitely” and 6% answered “yes.” A second training course titled Stepping Up to Supervisor Course for Hispanic Construction Workers was also developed to provide an effective tool to help companies promote those Hispanic craft workers whose willingness and skills meet the requirements to advance to a supervisory position in an American construction company. This course will be offered in the spring of 2004.

Identifying and Implementing Effective Training for Hispanic Craft Workers, American Supervisors, and DOT Inspectors: Phase III of the Hispanic Workforce Research Project, May 2006

The number of Hispanic workers in the U.S. construction industry has been steadily increasing, and language and cultural barriers have sometimes arisen on the jobsite. Due in part to these barriers, the number of fatalities among Hispanics at construction sites in 2001 jumped 24%, while construction fatalities overall dropped 3%. This study, which constitutes Phase III of the Hispanic Workforce Research Project, addresses these language and cultural barriers by investigating the most effective way to deliver training material developed in Phases I and II to Hispanic workers, American supervisors, and department of transportation (DOT) inspectors. The research methodology consisted of assessing the needs and interests of potential and current course participants in terms of exploring innovative ways to deliver the training. The training courses were then adapted and delivered to fit the specific needs of each audience. During Phase III of this project, the research team delivered the courses described in the Phase I and II reports to eight highway construction companies and two DOT groups. The courses developed in Phases I and II consist of four construction-focused language training courses that can be part of an effective training program to facilitate integration among U.S. and Hispanic workers, increase productivity and motivation at the jobsite, and decrease the existing high mortality rate for Hispanic workers. Moreover, the research team developed a course for the construction season called Toolbox Integration Course for Hispanic workers and American supervisors (TICHA), which consists of nine 45-minute modules delivered to one construction company over 11 weeks in the summer of 2005.

Developing an Effective Construction Training Program for Hispanic and American Supervisors and Craft Workers, 2007

Hispanics are a large and growing part of the United States workforce. Projections of the U.S. Census Bureau (2001) state that, by the year 2050, Hispanics will account for 25% of the population. For the Midwest in particular, the Hispanic population is expected to increase 35% by the year 2025. The construction industry is expected to experience a greater percentage increase of its Hispanic population, due to the labor-intensive nature of the industry. This study addresses the expected increase of Hispanic workers in the construction industry by testing the best approaches for delivering training to construction crews with Hispanic workers as well as American supervisors and laborers in the state of Iowa. The research methodology consisted of assessing the effects on communication, safety, work environment, and productivity as a result of the integration training. Results show that integration on-site training decreases workers’ desire to move and increases quality of work and productivity. Most importantly, experimental design was used to show the increasing levels of direct construction communication due to the Toolbox Integration Course for Hispanic Workers and American Supervisors (TICHA) designed as part of this project. This study recommends the creation of a quasi-governmental or association program that can offer continuous research and training that can benefit the construction industry as well as society as a whole. The industry involvement in this process is crucial for contractors. Not only do contractors benefit from reduced insurance premiums when workers act safely, but workers with better communication skills are more productive.

Developing an Effective Construction Training Program for American Supervisors with Hispanic Craft Workers, 2005

In the construction industry, Hispanics have the highest rate of fatal work injuries among the racial/ethnic groups, and productivity in the field is limited by the language barrier between Hispanic workers and their supervisors and the level of education of many Hispanic craft workers. This research developed a training program designed to facilitate the integration process between American supervisors and Hispanic craft workers in a practical and cost-effective way, thus improving productivity and lowering fatality rates. The Iowa State University research team conducted a survey of 38 American supervisors, representing 14 Iowa construction companies. Survey results confirm that communication is the main problem experienced by American supervisors in the job site. Many American supervisors also use or depend on a link-person (an individual who interprets tasks to the rest of the Hispanic crew) to communicate to the Hispanic crew members. Research findings show that language differences affect productivity and workplace safety in the construction industry. Additionally, the educational levels of Hispanic workers indicate that they may not have the literacy skills necessary to understand training materials. This research developed two training courses designed to expand the Spanish communication skills of American supervisors. The research team modified the English-as-a-second-language course developed in Phase I into the Spanish as a Second Language (SSL) Survival Course. A series of technical training courses were also developed, titled Concrete Pavement Construction Basics (CPCB), that cover general practices in concrete pavement construction. They are much shorter and more specialized than the SSL course. The CPCB courses provide American supervisors simple and practical communication tools on a variety of topics to choose from according to their specific needs.

Healthy Iowans 2010 Mid-Course Revision, July 2005

In the past century, public health has been credited with adding 25 years to life expectancy by contributing to the decline in illness and injury. Progress has been made, for example, in smoking reduction, infectious disease, and motor vehicle and workplace injuries. Besides its focus on traditional concerns such as clean water and safe food, public health is adapting to meet emerging health problems. Particular troublesome are health threats to youth: teenage pregnancies, violence, substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, and other conditions associated with high-risk behaviors. These threats add to burgeoning health care costs. A conservative estimate of $69 billion in medical spending could be averted through the impact of public health strategies aimed at heart disease, stroke, fatal and nonfatal occupational injuries, motor vehicle-related injuries, low birth weight, and violence. These strategies require the collaboration of many groups in the public and private sectors. Collaboration is the bedrock of public health and Healthy Iowans planning. At the core of Healthy Iowans 2000 and its successor, Healthy Iowans 2010, is the idea that all Iowans benefit when stakeholders decide on disease prevention and health promotion strategies and agree to work together on them. These strategies can improve the quality of life and hold down health care costs. The payoff for health promotion and disease prevention is not immediate, but it has long-lasting benefits. The Iowa plan is a companion to the national plan, Healthy People 2010. An initiative to improve the health of Americans, the national plan is the driving force for federal resource allocation for disease prevention and health promotion. The state plan is used in the same way. Both plans have received broad support from Republican and Democratic administrations. Community planners are using the state plan to help assess health needs and craft health improvement plans. Healthy Iowans 2010 was written at an unusual point in history – a new decade, a new century, a new millennium. The introduction was optimistic. “The 21st century,” it says, “promises to add life as well as years through improved health habits coupled with medical advances. Scientists have suggested that if these changes occur, the definition of adulthood will also change. An extraordinary number of people will live fuller, more active lives beyond that expected in the late 20th century.” At the same time, the country has spawned a new generation of health hazards. According to Dr. William Dietz of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it has replaced “the diseases of deficiency with diseases of excess” (Newsweek, August 2, 1999). New threats, such as childhood overweight, can reverse progress made in the last century. This demands concerted action.

Iowa Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, Helping Landowners Protect Iowa’s Natural Resources,January 2009

The Iowa Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program is a state, federal, local, and private partnership that provides incentives to landowners who voluntarily establish wetlands for water quality improvement in the tile-drained regions of Iowa. The goal of the program is to reduce nitrogen loads and movement of other agricultural chemicals from croplands to streams and rivers. In addition to improving water quality, these wetlands will provide wildlife habitat and increase recreational opportunities.

Division of Soil Conservation Soil and Water Quality Review, October 2007

What is in this review produced by The Iowa Department of Agricultural and Land Stewardship: Special Points of Interest: • CREP wetlands remove 40-90% of the nitrate and 90+% of the herbicide in tile drainage water from upper- lying croplands. • The watershed approach is comprehensive, efficient and effective resource management. • The Mines & Minerals Bureau, through the AML Program, worked with various watershed groups to secure an additional $1 million dollars in funding for the construction on AML projects in Marion and Mahaska counties. • Iowa Learning Farm is Building a Culture of Conservation: Farmer to Farmer—Iowan to Iowan.

Iowa Smart Planning Task Force Report

In the 2010 legislative session, the General Assembly passed and the Governor signed into law Senate File 2389 (SF 2389), which provided guidance for Smart Planning in Iowa and established the Iowa Smart Planning Task Force. This Task Force was charged with recommending policies and strategies for creating a stronger planning culture in Iowa, producing more resilient and sustainable communities. The Task Force, along with its two committees and four workgroups, met throughout the summer and fall of 2010 to identify and review best practices, consult local and national experts, and craft recommendations in the best interest of Iowans. A public input process was also implemented, resulting in improved recommendations.

Iowa Interstate Rest Area Stabilization Ponds, September 1979

This report is presented in two parts . P a r t I takes a new look at the design of rest area stabilization ponds after nearly 10 years' experience with some of the existing ponds and in the light of new design standards issued by Iowa DEQ. The Iowa DOT is embarking on improvements t o the ponds a t some of the r e s t areas. These improvements may include installation of drainage tile around the ponds to lower the water table below the pond bottom, sealing of the ponds with bentonite clay to reduce the infiltration to limits recently established by Iowa DEQ, and the enlargement of the ponds installation of aeration equipment t o increase the pond capacity. As the Iowa DOT embarks on this improvement program, it behooves them t o make only the improvements that are absolutely necessary to achieve waste water treatment goals. These ponds are subject to an extremely seasonal load and thus the ordinary standards used for pond design are not appropriate. Thus, Part I of the report presents a rationale for design and operation of the ponds which is deemed appropriate for t h e i r unique seasonally loaded character. Part I1 of the report looks a t the feasibility of using wind power for the aeration of the ponds, if and when aeration is deemed necessary.

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, April 10, 2013

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, published by the Iowa State Capitol Tour Guides weekly during the legislative session, features historical facts about Iowa, the Capitol, and the early workings of state government. All historical publications are reproduced here with the actual spelling, punctuation, and grammar retained THIS WEEK:Controlling Noise and Dust During the 1956 Replacement of the Old Floor Tile on First Floor of Capitol BACKGROUND:This article was copied from the Capitol Building Newspaper Clippings Scrapbook. The scrapbook contains clippings from 1906 to the 1970s and was compiled by the State Library of Iowa—Law Library.

09008-005 Hewitt Creek Final Report

The primary goal of the Hewitt Creek watershed council is to have Hewitt-Hickory Creek removed from the Iowa impaired waters (303d) list. Hewitt Creek watershed, a livestock dense 23,005 acre sub-watershed of the Maquoketa River Basin, is 91.2% agricultural and 7.5% woodland. Since 2005, sixty-seven percent of 84 watershed farm operations participated in an organized watershed improvement effort using a performance­ based watershed management approach, reducing annual sediment delivery to the stream by 4,000 tons. Watershed residents realize that water quality improvement efforts require a long-term commitment in order to meet their watershed improvement goals and seek funding for an additional five years to continue their successful watershed improvement project. Cooperators will be provided incentives for improved environmental performance, along with incentives and technical support to address feedlot runoff issues and sub-surface nitrate-nitrogen loss. The Phosphorus Index, Soil Conditioning Index and cornstalk nitrate test will be used by producers as measures of performance to refine nutrient and soil loss management and to determine effective alternatives to reduce nutrient and sediment delivery. Twenty-five livestock operations will improve feedlot runoff control systems and five sub-surface bioreactors will be installed to reduce nitrate delivery from priority tile-drained fields. The Hewitt Creek council will seek additional cost-share funding for high-cost feedlot runoff control structures, sediment control basins and stream bank stabilization projects.

1210-007IJ Central Park Lake Final Report

The Central Park Lake Watershed Assessment and Management Plan identified four categories where improvements are needed to remove the 23 acre lake from the impaired waters list. These include the wastewater system, runoff from surrounding lands, in-lake nutrient re-suspension and runoff from hard surfaces within the park. The lake is currently impaired for bacteria, algae and pH. Through outcomes of the Watershed Assessment and Management Plan, this proposal includes for abandonment and reclamation of the single cell wastewater lagoon site, replacement with three conventional septic systems and construction of two wetlands. One of the wetlands is located on the same site as the reclaimed lagoon and the other is located to intercept sediment and trap nutrients transported by tile lines. The prescribed wastewater system improvements are based on assessment by grab samples test by the State Hygienic Lab, development of a Preliminary Engineering Report, soil analysis and communication with IDNR wastewater officials. The two wetland sites were assessed by officials from IDALS and the Jones County SWCD. This project is part of $1.7 million lake restoration effort to reclaim the 47 year old lake. The lake has a positive economic impact of more than $7.6 million annually and supports an average annual visitation of 58,145, according to the Iowa Lakes Valuation Project, conducted by Iowa State University.

1118-007 Lake Hendricks Watershed Final Report

Lake Hendricks is a 54 acre man-made lake that is encompassed by a 1,209 acre watershed. Lake Hendricks is currently on the 303(d) Impaired Waters List for algae and pH impairments due to an abundance of algae growth caused by nutrients being delivered to the lake via 11 separate tile lines draining adjoining cropland areas. In 2009, a Watershed Management Plan was developed in partnership with IDALS and the IDNR 319 programs and $256,500 was awarded to address the nutrient and sediment loading of the lake. Over the past three years a total of $251,000 were spent to implement one grade stabilization structure, two sediment basins, two bioreactors, 700 feet of streambank stabilization, 30.7 acres oftimber stand improvement, and 39.4 acres of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). A proposed wetland structure and three sediment basins are scheduled to be constructed in the fall of 2011. Current water monitoring data is showing an average of 54% Nitrate (N) loading reductions as a result of the installed BMPs. The District feels further reductions are possible by addressing nutrient management issues in the cropland areas, stabilizing additional streambanks, and improving the surrounding woodland areas. The goal is to reduce N loading by an additional 20% and sediment loading by 50 tlac/yr. The resulting collaborative effort may lead to the future de-listing of Lake Hendricks from the 303(d) Impaired Waters List.

1011-006 Competine Creek Watershed Final Report

The Competine Creek watershed is a 24,956 acre sub-watershed of Cedar Creek. The creek traverses portions of three counties, slicing through rich and highly productive Southern lowa Drift Plain soils. The watershed is suffering from excessive sediment delivery and frequent flash floods that have been exacerbated by recent high rainfall events. Assessment data reveals soil erosion estimated to be 38,435 tons/year and sediment delivery to the creek at 15,847 tons/year. The Competine Creek Partnership Project is seeking WIRB funds to merge with IDALS-DSC funds and local funds, all targeted for structural Best Management Practices (BMPs) within the 2,760 acres of High Priority Areas (HPAs) identified by the assessment process. The BMPs will include grade stabilization structures, water and sediment basins, tile-outlet terraces, CRP, and urban storm water conservation practices. In addition, Iowa State University Extension-Iowa Learning Farm is investing in the project by facilitating a crop sampling program utilizing fall stalk nitrate, phosphorous index, and soil conditioning index testing. These tests will be used by producers as measures of performance to refine nutrient and soil loss management and to determine effective alternatives to reduce sediment and nutrient delivery to Competine Creek.

06031-014 City of Carpenter Sewage Treatment System Project Final Report

The Mitchell County Soil and Water Conservation District is applying on behalf of the incorporated community of Carpenter to construct a wastewater collection and treatment system to assist in the environmental cleanup and protection of Deer Creek. IDNR water monitoring of the community tile line has shown consistently elevated levels of fecal coliform bacteria indicating the presence of untreated sewage water. These are obvious health threats to the downstream users and wildlife in Deer Creek and the Cedar River. A new sewer system for the community of Carpenter will eliminate illegal discharges into the creed and be the first step in the overall protection of the stream.