[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 143 (Wednesday, October 5, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 5, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
 SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING U.S. POSITION ON DISINSECTION OF AIRCRAFT 
                           AT MEETING OF ICAO

  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the 
Speaker's table the Senate concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 77) 
expressing the sense of Congress regarding the U.S. position on the 
disinsection of aircraft at the 11th meeting of the Facilitation 
Division of the International Civil Aviation Organization, and ask for 
its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate concurrent resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Minnesota?
  Mr. CLINGER. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, and I will 
not object, but I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Oberstar], 
the chairman, to enable him to explain the purpose of the resolution.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, Senate Concurrent Resolution 77 expresses the sense of 
Congress concerning the position of the United States on the 
disinsection, or spraying, of aircraft, a position to be expressed at 
the 11th meeting of the Facilitation Division of the International 
Civil Aviation Organization [ICAO].
  The United States stopped spraying aircraft for insects way back in 
1979, but 27 other countries still require aircraft to be sprayed prior 
to landing or by residual long-lasting pesticide treatment. This means 
flight attendants walk down the aisles spraying pesticide on 
passengers, or the aircraft is sprayed when it is empty with a long-
lasting pesticide whose effects in the cabin can last up to 8 weeks.
  In either case, unsuspecting passengers as well as flight attendants 
suffer the effects of toxic insecticides which can be devastating to 
their health.
  The Department of Transportation has published a list of countries 
that still require this practice. The Federal Aviation Administration 
Authorization Act of 1994, passed last August, provides for passenger 
notification of those countries through customer hot lines under an 
amendment offered by our colleague, the gentleman from Oregon [Mr. 
DeFazio]. However, a new problem has arisen. The manufacturer of the 
pesticide now being used has ceased its production. In a matter of 
months, this pesticide, which at least is registered with the EPA, will 
no longer be available. Passengers and flight attendants traveling to 
countries that still require disinsection will be subjected to 
potentially more dangerous pesticides. We need to stop this worldwide 
practice as soon as possible, first, because it has little impact on 
insect pests, and, second, because it has had devastating effects on 
flight attendants who are routinely exposed to pesticides day in and 
day out in their workplace, the airliner cabin. And, of course, it has 
serious effects on passengers with varying degrees of sensitivity to 
such chemicals.
  Mr. Speaker, the resolution before the House urges the U.S. 
delegation to the spring 1995 ICAO conference to lead the efforts to 
amend the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation to end 
aircraft disinsection practices. It urges the delegation to make every 
effort to gain support and cosponsorship of other countries in this 
amendment.
  It is an important measure for the good health of passengers and of 
flight attendants and all who work onboard aircraft.
  I want to express my appreciation to the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
[Mr. Clinger], my colleague, who spent a great deal of time helping to 
craft this language working on this issue of airliner cabin quality. We 
have had a very successful outcome on a bill that passed the House just 
recently. This will take us a step further. I also want to thank the 
gentleman from Oregon [Mr. DeFazio] for his hard work and support on 
this issue, a splendid bipartisan initiative that has brought us to 
this point.
  Mr. CLINGER. Further reserving the right to object, Mr. Speaker, I 
just want to commend the gentleman from Minnesota, the chairman, for 
bringing this legislation to the floor. It is an important piece of 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, the Aviation Subcommittee held a hearing May 18, 1994, 
on the issue of cabin air quality of commercial jet aircraft. Testimony 
provided by several witnesses offered evidence, some anecdotal, of 
pulmonary illnesses suffered by crew members and passengers thought to 
be related to the enclosed environment of the commercial jet aircraft.
  During our hearing, testimony also revealed that 25 foreign 
countries--some very popular with U.S. vacationers--require aircraft 
cabins to be sprayed with insecticides prior to deboarding passengers. 
Spraying generally occurs while the aircraft is still several minutes 
away from landing. All passengers and crew have no choice but to inhale 
the fumes that circulate throughout the cabin until they exit the 
aircraft.
  The effectiveness of killing insects by spraying insecticides inside 
aircraft is questionable; there is no doubt in my mind, though, that 
forcing passengers and crew to inhale insecticide fumes is a 
potentially dangerous practice. Insecticides contain some very exotic 
chemical compounds that may cause long-term health problems for 
susceptible individuals.
  Senate Concurrent Resolution 77 is a sense-of-the-Congress resolution 
urging the U.S. delegation at next year's meeting of the International 
Civil Aviation Organization to recommend abolishing the practice of 
spraying insecticides inside aircraft. Help insure the health and 
safety of all airline passengers by supporting this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I again want to commend the gentleman from Minnesota, 
the chairman, and the gentleman from Oregon [Mr. DeFazio] who 
introduced this in the House, and urge its speedy resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Minnesota?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the Senate concurrent resolution, as follows:

                            S. Con. Res. 77

       Whereas the United States has a responsibility to protect 
     the health and safety of United States air travelers in the 
     United States and abroad;
       Whereas the United States ended the practice of aircraft 
     cabin disinsection 15 years ago, after determining that the 
     process was ineffective and posed a possible death risk to 
     aircraft passengers.
       Whereas 27 countries require disinsection of aircraft 
     cabins by the spraying of an insecticide while passengers are 
     on board the aircraft or by a residual pesticide treatment 
     which is not registered for use in the United States.
       Whereas the United States 10,000,000 people fly every year 
     from the United States to countries that require disinsection 
     of aircraft;
       Whereas the United States pilots and flight attendants on 
     flights to such countries are repeatedly exposed to the 
     chemicals used in disinsection of aircraft;
       Whereas approximately 53,000,000 Americans, more than 20 
     percent of the population, suffer chronic respiratory 
     problems that put them at special risk to aircraft cabin 
     disinsection procedures;
       Whereas no tests have been conducted to determine whether 
     insecticides used for aircraft cabin disinsection are safe 
     for use in unventilated aircraft cabins or for people with 
     chemical sensitivies or breathing conditions;
       Whereas there has been a decrease in the number of 
     insecticides registered for aircraft cabin disinsection by 
     the Environmental Protection Agency by reason of the health 
     concerns raised with respect to such insecticides, and there 
     is no indication that insecticides produced in foreign 
     countries which might serve to replace such insecticides 
     present any less threat to health;
       Whereas Annex 9 to the Convention on International Civil 
     Aviation, done at Chicago, December 7, 1944, states that 
     ``Contracting States shall ensure that their procedures for 
     disinsecting or any other remedial measure are not injurious 
     to the health of passengers and crew and cause the minimum of 
     discomfort to them'';
       Whereas the Facilitation Division of the International 
     Civil Aviation Organization is scheduled to meet in the 
     Spring of 1995 to discuss changes to the standards set forth 
     in Annex 9 to the Convention; and
       Whereas the United States will be a participant at that 
     meeting: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that the United 
     States delegation to the Spring 1995 meeting of the 
     Facilitation Division of the International Civil Aviation 
     Organization--
       (1) seek to amend the Convention on International Civil 
     Aviation, done at Chicago, December 7, 1944, to end aircraft 
     disinsection practices that threaten the health of aircraft 
     passengers and crew; and
       (2) make every effort to gain the support and cosponsorship 
     of other member nations of the organization of that 
     amendment.

  The Senate concurrent resolution was concurred in.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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