[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 114 (Thursday, August 5, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10374-S10375]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           FORMOSAN TERMITES

  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I would like to engage into a colloquy 
with the distinguished Chairman and the senior senator from Louisiana, 
Mr. Breaux, about two very important ongoing agriculture research 
projects relating to Formosan termites, and phytoestrogen research 
ongoing in Louisiana, which the Appropriations Committee has supported 
in the past.
  For the past two fiscal years, vital funding has been provided to the 
Southern Regional Research Center in New Orleans to continue 
``Operation FullStop'', which has targeted research and test pilots to 
find ways to control the Formosan termite. This past, first introduced 
into the United States from east Asia in the 1940s has spread like a 
plague through the Southeast, and its range now extends from Texas to 
South Carolina. In Louisiana, damage is most severe in New Orleans 
where the total annual cost of termite damage and treatment is 
estimated at an astonishing $217,000,000. Many historic structures in 
the French Quarter have been devastated, and now as many as \1/3\ of 
the beloved live oaks that shade historic thoroughfares such as St. 
Charles Avenue are at risk of being lost to termite damage. To help 
find appropriate controls for Formosan termites in Louisiana and other 
states where termites are just being found, it is critical for this 
research to continue.
  Additionally, the Southern Regional Research Center in coordination 
with Tulane and Xavier Universities in New Orleans have merged their 
complementary expertise in a unique and powerful collaborative on 
comparative research of the impact of Phytoestrogens on human health. 
These natural chemicals in soybeans and other plant substances is only 
starting to receive attention as dietary substances capable of 
improving human health. In addition, to showing beneficial health 
effects for the prevention of breast cancer and other health disorders, 
this research has developed techniques in molecular biology which could 
lead to applications that control the development of harmful insects. 
Researchers are on the verge of harnessing this knowledge and applying 
it to the possible biological amelioration of Foremosan termite 
infestations. Thus, continuation of this research funded by a special 
Agriculture Research Service grant, is needed to build upon the ongoing 
program and hopefully find answers to how chemicals found in plant 
products could be used to replace other toxic pharmaceuticals and 
pesticides.
  Mr. BREAUX. Thank you, Senator Landrieu. I agree that it is vital 
that these ongoing agriculture research projects be given much deserved 
and badly needed attention and consideration by the U.S. Congress. and 
I join Senator Landrieu in my concern about the urgency to control 
Formosan termite devastation to privately-owned and public property, to 
historic preservation, to commerce, and to economic development. 
Research being conducted at the Agriculture Research Service in New 
Orleans is vital to controlling the Formosan termite. Formosan termites 
are unique and are capable of inflicting more damage to more plant 
species than native termite species. In addition, they have unique 
biological traits which make them more difficult to control, such as 
being able to avoid traditional termite controlling toxins by building 
nests above ground. The fundamental research currently conducted in New 
Orleans will identify vulnerabilities in termite biology or colony 
development which can be exploited for the development of new detection 
methods and environmentally-sound control strategies. The structural 
foundation of New Orleans and other areas all along the coast will 
benefit from this research.
  Also, the ongoing Phytoestrogen research being conducted by the 
Southern Regional Research Center in coordination with Tulane and 
Xavier Universities in New Orleans is an exemplary partnership. The 
Tulane/Xavier Center for Bioenvironmental Research has one of the 
leading laboratory efforts in the world for the study of estrogenic 
chemicals, including Phytoestrogens. USDA's Southern Research Center 
has 54 years of distinguished service to agriculture and science, 
making this a productive and sensible collaboration. The ramifications 
of this partnership will be broad-reaching, aiding not only the 
prevention and treatment of disease in humans, but also the development 
of safe biological alternatives to conventional pest control. I join 
Senator Landrieu in looking forward to the continuation of these 
projects.
  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I appreciate very much the comments from 
my colleagues from Louisiana. Both of my colleagues can rest assured 
that I will keep these issues clearly in focus as we deliberate the 
fiscal year 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill in conference with the 
other body. Additionally, I am aware of the many other important past 
and present research projects ongoing at the Southern Regional Research 
Center. This is an excellent agriculture research center, and funding 
for its work should be carefully considered by the conference 
committee.

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