Airliner cabin air quality : hearing before the Subcommittee on Aviation of the Committee on Public Works and Transportation, House of Representatives, One Hundred Third Congress, second session, May 18, 1994

540 Pages·1994·16 MB·English

by  United States. Congress. House. Committee on Public Works and Transportation. Subcommittee on Aviation

AIRLINER CABIN AIR QUALITY
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y 4. P 96/11:103-61
Airliner Cabin Air Quality (103-61.
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON AVIATION
OFTHE
COMMITTEE ON
PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATION
HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED THIRD CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
MAY
18, 1994
Printed for the use of the
Committee on Public Works and Transportation

AIRLINER CABIN AIR QUALITY
(103-61)
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON AVIATION
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON
PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATION
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED THIRD CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
MAY 18, 1994
Printed for the use of the
Committee on Public Works and Transportation
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON 1994
:
ForsalebytheU.S.GovernmentPrintingOffice
SuperintendentofDocuments,CongressionalSalesOffice,Washington,DC 20402
ISBN 0-16-045997-4
COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATION
NORMAN Y. MINETA, California, Chair
JAMES L. OBERSTAR, Minnesota BUD SHUSTER, Pennsylvania
NICK J. RAHALL II, West Virginia WILLIAM F. CLLNGER, Jr., Pennsylvania
DOUGLAS APPLEGATE, Ohio THOMAS E. PETRI, Wisconsin
RON de LUGO, Virgin Islands SHERWOOD L. BOEHLERT, New York
ROBERT A. BORSKI, Pennsylvania JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma
TIM VALENTINE, North Carolina BILL EMERSON, Missouri
WILLIAM O. LIPINSKI, Illinois JOHN J. DUNCAN, Jr., Tennessee
ROBERT E. WISE, Jr., West Virginia SUSAN MOLINARI, New York
JAMES A. TRAFICANT, Jr., Ohio WILLIAM H. ZELIFF, Jr., New Hampshire
JPAEMTEERSAA. DHeAFYAEZSI,O,LoOuriesgiaonna TWHAOYMNAEST.W.GIELWCIHNRGE,STI,lliMnoairsyland
BOB CLEMENT, Tennessee JENNIFER DUNN, Washington
JERRY F. COSTELLO, Illinois Y. TIM HUTCHINSON, Arkansas
MIKE PARKER, Mississippi BILL BAKER, California
GREG LAUGHLIN, Texas MICHAEL A. "MAC" COLLINS, Georgia
PETE GEREN, Texas JAY KIM, California
GEORGE E. SANGMEISTER, Illinois DAVID A. LEVY, New York
GLENN POSHARD, Illinois STEPHEN HORN, California
DICK SWETT, New Hampshire BOB FRANKS, New Jersey
BBAURDBCARRAAMERRO,SEAlCaObLaLmIaNS, Michigan PHEOTWEARRID. BP.LU"TBEU,CKM"asMsaccKhEusOeNt,tsCalifornia
ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, District of JOHN L. MICA, Florida
Columbia PETER HOEKSTRA, Michigan
LUCLEN E. BLACKWELL, Pennsylvania JACK QUINN, New York
JERROLD NADLER, NewYork VERNON J. EHLERS, Michigan
SAM COPPERSMITH, Arizona
LESLIE L. BYRNE, Virginia
MARIA CANTWELL, Washington
PAT DANNER, Missouri
KAREN SHEPHERD, Utah
ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey
JAMES E. CLYBURN, South Carolina
CORRINE BROWN, Florida
NATHAN DEAL, Georgia
JAMES A. BARCIA, Michigan
DAN HAMBURG, California
BOB FILNER, California
WALTER R. TUCKER III, California
EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas
PETER W. BARCA, Wisconsin
(ID
Ill
Subcommittee on Aviation
JAMES L. OBERSTAR, Minnesota, Chair
RON DE LUGO, Virgin Islands, WILLIAM F. CLENGER, Jr., Pennsylvania
Vice Chair SHERWOOD L. BOEHLERT, New York
WILLIAM O. LIPINSKI, Illinois JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma
PETE GEREN, Texas JOHN J. DUNCAN, Jr., Tennessee
GEORGE E. SANGMEISTER, Illinois THOMAS W. EWING, Illinois
BARBARA ROSE COLLINS, Michigan WAYNE T. GILCHREST, Maryland
SAM COPPERSMITH, Arizona JENNIFER DUNN, Washington
ROBERT A. BORSKI, Pennsylvania MICHAEL A. "MAC" COLLINS, Georgia
TIM VALENTINE, North Carolina JAY KIM, California
PETER A. DeFAZIO, Oregon DAVID A. LEVY, New York
JAMES A. HAYES, Louisiana STEPHEN HORN, California
BOB CLEMENT, Tennessee HOWARD P. "BUCK" McKEON, California
JERRY COSTELLO, Illinois JOHN L. MICA, Florida
MIKE PARKER, Mississippi VERNON J. EHLERS, Michigan
GREG LAUGHLIN, Texas BUD SHUSTER, Pennsylvania
DICK SWETT, New Hampshire (Ex Officio)
BUD CRAMER, Alabama
LUCIEN E. BLACKWELL, Pennsylvania
MARIA CANTWELL, Washington
PAT DANNER, Missouri
KAREN SHEPHERD, Utah
CORRINE BROWN, Florida
NICK J. RAHALL II, West Virginia
NORMAN Y. MINETA, California
(Ex Officio)

CONTENTS
Page
Summary ofsubjectmatter VIII
TESTIMONY
Banzhaf, John F., Ill, Professor ofLaw, George Washington University, Exec-
utive Director, Action on Smokingand Health [ASH] 188
Canny, Hon. Joseph P., DeputyAssistant Secretary for Transportation Policy,
U.S. Department ofTransportation, accompanied by Arnold Konheim, Sen-
ior Policy Analyst, Office of the Secretary of Transportation, Thomas
McSweeney, Director, Aircraft Certification Service, Federal Aviation Ad-
ministration, and Dr. Jon L. Jordan, Federal Air Surgeon, Federal Aviation
Administration 44
Clarke, Deanne, FlightAttendant 84
Cone, Dr. James E., MD., MPH., Medical Consultant, Association of Flight
Attendants, AFL-CIO 132
DeFazio, Hon. Peter, a Representativein Congress from Oregon 8
Hagan, Joyce, International Flight Attendant, accompanied by Beth Welker,
International FlightAttendant 84
Halfpenny, Paul, Member, Committee on Space StationFreedom 139
Hendrick, Donna, President, Airline Division, Canadian Union ofPublic Em-
ployees [CUPE] 84
Hinman, Dr. Alan R., M.D., M.P.H., Director, National Center for Prevention
Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], Public Health
Service, U.S. Department ofHealth and Human Services 44
Johnson, Stephen L., Acting Director, Registration Division, Office of Pes-
ticidePrograms, U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency 44
Landry, James E., President, Air Transport Association, accompanied by Dr.
Jolanda Janczewski, President, Consolidated Safety Services, Inc., and Mi-
chael Rioux,Vice President, Engineering, Maintenance and Materiel 158
Ludwig, Sue, FlightAttendant 132
Maki, Dee, National President, Association of Flight Attendants, AFL-CIO,
accompaniedby ChrisWitkowski, DirectorofSafety 84
Miller, Mary Ellen, Director of Safety and Health, Independent Federation
ofFlightAttendants 84
Nadler, Hon. Jerrold, a Representativein Congress from NewYork 31
Robeson, Robert E., Jr., Vice President, Civil Aviation, Aerospace Industries
Association ofAmerica, Inc 165
Spengler, Dr. John, Ph.D., Department of Environmental Health, Harvard
University School of Public Health, accompanied by Dr. Harriet Burge,
Ph.D., ProfessorofMicrobiology, Harvard University 132
White, Dr. John, Ph.D., Past President, American LungAssociation, on behalf
of the American Lung Association, American Heart Association, American
CancerSociety, Partners in The Coalition on SmokingOR Health 181
Young, Patricia, American Airlines FlightAttendant 84
PREPARED STATEMENTS SUBMITTED BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
Blackwell, Hon. Lucien E., ofPennsylvania 6
Clinger, Hon. William F., ofPennsylvania 4
DeFazio, Hon. Peter, ofOregon 28
Lipinski, Hon. William O., ofIllinois 6
PREPARED STATEMENTS SUBMITTED BY WITNESSES
Banzhaf, John F., Ill 197
(V)
VI
Page
Canny, Joseph P 213
Clarke, Deanne 218
Cone, Dr. James E., M.D., M.P.H 226
Hagan, Joyce 233
Hendrick, Donna 260
Hinman, Dr. Alan R., M.D., M.P.H 300
Johnson, Stephen L 309
Jordan, Dr. Jon L., M.D 317
Landry, James E 321
Ludwig, Sue 376
Maki, Dee 380
Miller, Mary Ellen 396
Robeson, Robert E.,Jr 409
Spengler, Dr. John, Ph.D 422
Welker, Beth 429
White, Dr. John, Ph.D 431
Young, Patricia 444
SUBMISSIONS FOR THE RECORD
Association ofFlightAttendants:
Answers toquestions submitted by Representative Oberstar 117
Letters from flight attendants and passengers 124
Hon. Joseph P. Canny, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy,
U.S. Department ofTransportation, Response to Question from Representa-
tive Horn 80
Hon. PeterDeFazio, a Representative in Congress from Oregon:
Letter to Hon. William J. Clinton from Representative Peter DeFazio
and Sen. Patrick Leahy, May 18, 1994 10
StatementofSen. Patrick Leahy, a Senatorin Congress from Vermont .... 12
Letters to Hon. Sen. Patrick Leahy, ofVermont 14
Joyce Hagan, International FlightAttendant:
Responses to posthearing questions submitted by Representative Ober-
star 92
Excerptfrom 1986 NAS Study ofCabinAirQuality".!.!.!!!!!!!"!.!!!!!!!!.!.!!!!!".!! 94
Dr. Alan R. Hinman, Director, National Center for Prevention Services, Cen-
ters for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health Service, U.S. De-
partment ofHealth and Human Services, Response to Questions from Rep-
resentative Horn 81
Dr. Jon L. Jordan, M.D., Federal Air Surgeon, Federal Aviation Administra-
tion, Response to Question from Representative Horn 66
James E. Landry, President, AirTransportAssociation, Letter Supplementing
Testimony 191
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Responses to Questions from Rep-
resentative Oberstar 82
PatriciaYoung, AmericanAirlines FlightAttendant:
Proposal 5—StockholderResolution, March 31, 1994 106
Letter to Ms. Young from R.L. Crandall, Chairman and President, Amer-
icanAirlines, August 14, 1989 108
ADDITIONS TO THE RECORD
AirTransportAssociation,James E. Landry, President, letter 449
American Medical Association, James S. Todd, M.D., statement, May 27,
1994 454
Cash, Smith & Wages, Joan Wages, letter on behalf of Flight Attendants
represented by the Association of Professional Flight Attendants at Amer-
icanAirlines 509
Columbus Heating and Ventilating, Raymond A. Meister, P.E., Vice President
ofEngineeringand the Industrial Division, Columbus, OH:
Statement 461
AirQuality Inspection Summary, Healthy Buildings International, report,
November 1993 476
Diana Fairechild, letter, May 13, 1994 488
Gail BoyerHayes, Private Pilot, letter, April 29, 1994 496
Anthony P. Hays, letter,June 17, 1994 498
Dorothy S. Lyddon, letter, June 15, 1994 499
Helen G. Morris, M.D., letter, April 25, 1994 500
VII
Page
Neurological Associates, PA, Stephen C. Padar, M.D., letter, April 25, 1994 .... 502
Northwest CoalitionforAlternatives to Pesticides, statement 503
JenniferShirley, letter, June 22, 1994 509
Walter J. Shea, President, Transportation Trades Department, AFL^CIO,
statement 512
,
VIII
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memorandum
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TO: Members of the Subcommittee on Aviation
FROM: Committee's Aviation Staff
DATE: May 16, 1994
RE: SUMMARY OF SUBJECT MATTER for the hearing on AIR LINER
CABIN AIR QUALITY, Wednesday, May 18, 1994, at 9:30 a.m.
Efforts to improve airliner cabin air quality for the benefit
of passengers and crew go back over a decade, and include
legislation, rules, studies, three hearings by this subcommittee
(including today's) , and citizen and flight attendant activism.
The effort focused initially on smoking, culminating in the ban on
smoking on all domestic flights of six hours or less. With the air
somewhat cleared, concern has turned to the broader universe of
contaminants, including the use of pesticides in airplanes with
passengers and crew aboard (required by certain foreign countries)
and the continued infliction of second-hand smoke on flight
attendants on international flights.
Despite findings of various studies that airliner cabin air is
generally safe for healthy people, complaints from flight
attendants who spend their working lives in this environment;
concerns for the transmission of disease, including tuberculosis,