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June 24,2010 ''f'fOF|/.g p 

Jack Klein ^^ • ' 'l- I I 

4223 Clairmont Road 

Columbus, OH 43220 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

Office of the Assistant Secretary of Administration 

1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E. Room W80-318 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

-Re : Comment on proposed reg. DOT-O$T-2010-0140 

Deaf Sir or Madam 

First let me say that I tried to convey this comment using www.regulations.gov but the site was not 

very user friendly and proved impossible to work with. 

My comments relate to the; proposed regulatioflS<on;peartutsonairpildhes. lam th^ father of two 

children with se;ver6 nut allergies. Needless to^ayl <imiT> favor of iMfijJle^ 

on planes. In reviewing what hasb^nipropoised'pteaSe tOhsWet'th^se cohimehtst* • 

My two ehil|d,ren with allergies both carry Eppy Pens as Jin'emergericy precaution. The pens are bnly a 

stop gap to stem a potentially fatal reaction to peanuts. The recdmmended procedare folloWing the 

administration of the Eppy pen is to go immediately to a hospital for monitoring and perhaps further 

treatment. Obviously on a plane at 30,000 feet that kind of follow up would require an emergency 

landing. It would seem that some preventative action, such as banning peanut products from planes, 

would prove more appropriate. 

While a total ban of peanut products on planes may seem draconian please consider that those with 

severe peanut allergies do not have^to ingest large amounts of peanut product to have a severe 

reaction. If my children are seated on a plane in a seat in which a prior passenger was consuminig 

peanuts and who left residue behind, there is a risk to my children should they touch that residue and 

contaminate what they are eating or otherwise touch their mouth. It is akin to the warnings regarding 

cross contamination found on almost every food product as a result of FDA regulations. The danger has 

been proven to be real. Obviously being on an airplane greatly complicates dealing with the danger and 

the remedy. 

Some airllnesare accommodating and othersare not. There is ho mechahismfor hbtifying the airline 

appropriately to insure that pFejventative action: is taken; so our efforts to prot^tt oii^chfldreh hdv6! only 

been partially successful. Additionally the airlines can only control so much. On a flight last year, the air 

GFewmade an announcement stating that no peartutS'\*ou1d«beSservedandci$kihg'that passengers 

refrain from eating peanut products: Unfbitunatety a wtfmtan seated dff-ec!tly In frbnt of my family felt' 

that it was more important to eat her peanut candy than it Was to cohiply with thie airliiie's request. 

•MB 
We banned smoking on airlines largely because it was recognized that the activity had serious health 

risks for other passengers and air crew alike. This situation is analogous In that in the confined space of 

an airplane the danger of nut allergies is increased and the options for relief are significantly reduced. 

Unlike a ballpark or amusement park, we do not have the choice of leaving the threatening 

circumstance once we are on board a plane. To suggest a segregated "nut free" zone on a plane begs 

the issue on two counts, the one being the nut residue left by prior passengers and the second being 

that increasing use of small regional jets by airlines where everyone is in close proximity to one another 

no matter where they are seated. 

We have given up the "right" to smoke on a plane, the "right" to carry our pocket knives, large shampoo 

bottles as well as numerous other objects out of concern for the well being of everyone. In view of the 

growing population of those with nut allergies, it doesn't seem unduly burdensome to give up nuts for 

the few hours that you are actually on board an airplane. There are other ways to nourish yourself. 

I would be happy to provide further information. Including the written opinion of myT^hildren's allfe^St" 

if it will help in any way. Please contact me at the address written above. 

Truly 

Co 

Senator Voinovich 

Senator Brown 

Congresswoman Kilroy