FEMA Suspends Use of Disaster Trailers

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

FEMA Suspends Use of Disaster Trailers

Thursday, August 2, 2007; 8:57 AM

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Emergency Management
Agency has stopped donating and selling disaster trailers
while it studies reports that people living in them after
hurricanes Katrina and Rita got sick from formaldehyde
exposure.

Federal health scientists are in Louisiana and Mississippi
investigating the safety of the travel trailers being used
by hurricane victims, FEMA officials said. The scientists
have been asked to identify an acceptable air quality
level for formaldehyde, which is commonly used in
building materials but can cause respiratory problems in
high doses or with prolonged exposure.

-snip-

Congressional leaders were outraged after documents
revealed that FEMA lawyers had discouraged the agency
from investigating reports that some trailers had high
levels of formaldehyde.

FEMA said in a statement Wednesday that "out of an
abundance of caution," it is temporarily suspending
further deployment of the travel trailers in its inventory
pending the results of the formaldehyde studies, which
will take into account relative humidity, the trailers'
design and how long they are lived in.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/02/AR2007080200569.html

[indepat]

1. "With an abundance of caution": another example of the administration keeping us safe

[Ian David]

2. And do we remember which Repuke had these trailers made by a family member? Anyone? Anyone? n/t

[shraby]

3. There was a big flare-up around the 1980s or late

1970s about formaldehyde in new structures/trailers and it was supposed to have been resolved then with tighter regulations. Wonder what happened that these trailers have the same problems as before.

[KT2000]

4. Example of regulations

the MDF used in home construction today uses formaldehyde. The regs require that every 10th sheet of MDF be stamped that the product contains formaldehyde.

When I look at the new homes going up with that crap I can only see gas chambers. Lots of sickness comes from formaldehyde exposure. The regs were very weak and are not protective of human health.

[Doctor_J]

5. Heckuva job, Brownie

still killing poor people in NOLA, two years later