[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14413]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                  DAVID MUELLER OF WESTFIELD, INDIANA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MIKE PENCE

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 27, 2005

  Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, for many years we in this body have been 
discussing the issue of the use of methyl bromide and the impact of the 
elimination of this chemical as stated in the Montreal Protocol. We 
must look at how this will affect our diverse economy as well as lay 
the groundwork for new alternatives to replace methyl bromide. As 
signatories to the Montreal Protocol, the United States negotiators 
have a responsibility to Congress and the Administration to seek an 
acceptable balance as they travel to Montreal in a few days to attend 
the Twenty-fifth Open-Ended Working Group Meeting of the Parties to the 
Montreal Protocol, Second Extraordinary Meeting of the Parties, and 
associated meetings 26 June-2 July 2005.
  I am proud to say that the answer to this international problem is 
found right in the State of Indiana and is being promoted by a Hoosier 
with a vision to create a safer environment while at the same time 
stimulating growth in the Hoosier economy.
  This person is David Mueller of Westfield, Indiana. He is a fumigator 
and the son of a flour miller and has been fumigating since he was a 
teenager. His privately owned family business was founded in 1981 and 
has 25 employees.
  Methyl bromide is a product that his company Fumigation Service & 
Supply, Inc. began using in the 1980s for fumigating flourmills, food 
processing structures, and post harvest commodities throughout the 
United States. At one point Mr. Mueller and his company used or sold 
over 300,000 lbs of methyl bromide per year in the early 1990s. This 
represented about 55 percent of their total fumigation business.
  As of January 1, 2005, this Indiana company no longer uses methyl 
bromide, How did they phase out of this biocide?
  In 1995 they heard that methyl bromide was going to be phased out 
under the Montreal Protocol. Dave understood that the loss of methyl 
bromide would have a dramatic effect on his business. He attended 
several domestic and international meetings to determine if this was a 
true story. After determining that alternatives would, in fact, be 
required under the U.S. Clean Air Act and the international treaty 
signed by President Reagan called the Montreal Protocol, his company 
began to search for credible alternatives.
  As a stored product entomologist, Mr. Mueller started this search 
process by looking at methyl bromide and how it affects the insects and 
other pests. It is a biocide that kills like napalm. When it touches 
something, it kills it: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Other fumigants 
needed more time or a higher dosage rate to work. However, he 
understood that the respiration of the insects could be increased 
substantially by increasing the temperature in the flourmills and food 
factories or choosing the warmest time of the year to plan the 
scheduled fumigations.
  By increasing the temperature of the insects they were observed to 
become stressed, dehydrated, and would die faster. The dosage rates for 
conventional fumigants and insecticides like phosphine, dichlorvos, and 
sulfuryl fluoride worked better, faster, and at lower dosage rates when 
temperatures of 90-100 deg.F (30-40 deg.C) were created.
  He also added carbon dioxide (3-5 percent) to the mix to allow for 
better mortality and shorter shutdown times for these post harvest 
fumigations. The carbon dioxide makes the insects and rodents breathe 
harder and faster allowing the fumigants to kill better and faster. 
This is called the combination fumigation method.
  The ten-year findings to this search for alternatives to methyl 
bromide showed those who were willing to listen that credible 
alternatives to methyl bromide do exist. The combination of heat and/or 
carbon dioxide added to existing E.P.A. registered fumigants and 
insecticides offers credible, technical, and economic alternatives to 
methyl bromide.
  During this search for alternatives, Mr. Mueller noticed that many 
companies don't use methyl bromide. He asked how they do it. The answer 
was simple, they don't fumigate because they do all the things that 
they should do to prevent having to fumigate. Brand name companies like 
Frito Lay, Nestle, PepsiCo, Kal Kan, Purina, Gerber, Procter and 
Gamble, Wal-Mart, and many more don't fumigate with methyl bromide. 
Good cleaning, good prevention and monitoring strategies to be 
proactive rather than reactive have allowed these companies to 
prioritize their sanitation program with excellent results and 
corporate reputations. Their brand names are the best in the industry 
because they spend the resources to stop the insects and other pests 
from entering their facilities. If pests do get through the 
``gatekeeper'' they have strategies to monitor for their early 
detection. Local treatments are then applied in a timely manner to 
eliminate any outbreaks. This is post harvest IPM and it works for 
those willing to be proactive instead of reactive.
  In summary, life without methyl bromide is possible. This Hoosier 
company is doing it and other companies are doing it with credible 
alternatives for the protection of the environment. There is a price to 
pay for protecting the environment and everyone can find credible 
alternatives if they search for them like Fumigation Service & Supply, 
Inc. did. Companies that continue to use methyl bromide when there are 
credible alternatives available should spend the time, resources, and 
effort to make the right choice as did Mr. Mueller and Fumigation 
Supply & Service, Inc.

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