DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship today announced that the Iowa Weights and Measures Metrology Laboratory will be moving to Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, Iowa. Occupancy of the new facility at Iowa Falls will be effective December 1, 2009.
“With the budget challenges facing the Department this is a positive collaboration that will ensure this important service is still available to Iowans and allow Ellsworth Community College to offer a new course area,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey. “This will make sure companies are still able to be certified in Iowa.”
“It is wonderful to see two state agencies working together to ensure services are still available to Iowans,” said Dave Halverson, Director of Agriculture and Renewable Energy for Ellsworth Community College. “The Iowa Falls Metrology State lab will enable Iowa to continue to provide Iowans with a quality state metrology lab.”
The State of Iowa Metrology Lab certifies that weights and liquid measures used to calibrate commercial scales and measuring devices are accurate. The types of devices certified using these weights and measures include grocery scales, gas pump meters, truck scales, and grain moisture meters.
Thanks to the collaboration, service companies will not have to drive out of state to calibrate their weights.
In addition, the new lab will offer Ellsworth students a unique opportunity. Ellsworth will be one of very few colleges in the country to offer students the opportunity to study metrology for future career opportunities in business and government.
“We are very grateful for this opportunity and believe that we have the staff and the facilities to make the Metrology Lab at Ellsworth a win-win situation for the college and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. I have appreciated working closely with Jill Paxton, Weights and Measures Bureau Chief, who has helped us to understand the complexities of the program and is helping to make this a smooth transition.” Says Mollie Teckenburg, Provost, Ellsworth Community College.
The metrology lab will be located in the newly completed Agriculture & Renewable Energy Center located at Ellsworth Community College’s Robert and Arlene Hamilton campus south of Iowa Falls on Highway 65. Larger weights being calibrated at the Trades and Industry Building located on Ellsworth’s main campus. The address for the new Agriculture and Renewable Energy Center is 705 Ellsworth Avenue, Iowa Falls and the phone number will be 641-648-8665.
The Iowa Weights and Measures Metrology Laboratory in Ankeny achieved NIST Echelon III Recognition during the summer of 2009. This recognition will be re-established at the Iowa Falls facility.
***Photos of the agreement being signed are available upon request
