The next Mine Reserve Study Committee meeting will be held Thursday, April 28 at 5:30pm at the Clayton County office building at 600 Gunder Road NE in Elkader. The focus of this meeting is on air quality and the impact of silica sand on our health and the environment. Two guest presenters from the University of Iowa have been invited to speak and answer questions.
Dr. Patrick O’Shaughnessy, professor in the University of Iowa College of Public Health Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, learned industry hazards firsthand.
O’Shaughnessy spent eight years as a construction worker before furthering his education in civil and environmental engineering. He now directs the UI Heartland Center for Occupational Health and Safety, one of 18 such centers funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH.)
David Osterberg’s work as a clinical professor in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health encompasses public policy in the fields of both environmental health and environmental quality. He teaches a seminar in environmental health policy as well as the department’s only undergraduate course, an introduction to occupational and environmental health. He specializes in research translation and community engagement for two federally funded centers, the Environmental Health Sciences Research Center and the Iowa Superfund Research Program (ISRP). In addition, Professor Osterberg is part of the Training Core for the ISRP.