Providing for Consideration of H.R. 2693, Popcorn Workers Lung Disease Prevention Act

PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2693, POPCORN WORKERS LUNG DISEASE PREVENTION ACT -- (House of Representatives - September 26, 2007)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this rule to allow the House to consider the Popcorn Workers Lung Disease Prevention Act. This is important legislation. It would require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue a standard to minimize worker exposure to diacetyl, which is an artificial butter flavoring chemical that has been linked to irreversible, deadly lung disease known as ``popcorn lung.'' By passing this rule and bill, we meet our obligation to protect thousands of American workers and ensure the public health.

More than 7 years ago, a physician contacted the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to report eight cases of fixed obstructive lung diseases, bronchiolitis obliterans, also known as ``popcorn lung,'' in workers from a Missouri microwave popcorn plant. Follow-up investigations by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health found diacetyl to

[Page: H10910]

have caused the lung disease. Since that time, cases of popcorn lung have been identified in microwave popcorn workers in several States: Missouri, Iowa, Ohio, New Jersey, and Illinois. In all, NIOSH conducted six investigations at 10 microwave popcorn facilities, finding respiratory impairment among workers at a majority of the plants.

The science on this chemical's danger is clear. Beyond the NIOSH investigations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called for health care providers to report additional suspected cases of respiratory disease in workers exposed to food-flavoring chemicals.

That was 5 years ago. This past April, the CDC again recommended that employers implement safety measures to minimize worker exposures to flavoring chemicals such as diacetyl.

When I asked Secretary of Labor, Elaine Chao, during an appropriations budget hearing why OSHA was dragging its feet on issuing an ``emergency temporary standard,'' she responded, ``This is a difficult evaluation because of the relative lack of specific scientific information concerning the health effects of diacetyl and other butter flavoring chemicals.'' Indeed, we should not be too surprised by the fact that, even after all these years, OSHA has failed to issue a standard to protect workers from exposure to diacetyl, preferring to rely instead on voluntary efforts.

The science is there. Scientists have called diacetyl's effect on workers' lungs ``astonishingly grotesque.'' They likened it to ``inhaling acid.'' Workers who are exposed to diacetyl today cannot afford to wait. This legislation would require engineering controls, respiratory protection, exposure monitoring, medical surveillance, and worker training. It would also apply to popcorn manufacturing and packaging as well as to the food flavorings industry.

Let me just tell you what the industry has done. ConAgra Foods and Pop Weaver, two major producers of microwave popcorn, have already announced that they will no longer used diacetyl to flavor their microwave popcorn because they understand it. They see the science and know that we have to act.

[Time: 10:45]

We have a responsibility in this body to both consumers and to workers. Yesterday, however, Kraft Foods announced a new toasted butter flavor which contains diacetyl; in fact, Kraft Company flavorist, Susan Parker, told reporters, ``To some customers diacetyl is not an issue; to others, it is. We're moving forward to formulating solutions to meet customer need.'' But what Kraft fails to realize and fails to mention is that diacetyl is an issue for all workers. This much we know, and that is why we need this legislation.

I urge my colleagues to support this rule.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source