FEMA accused of suppressing health warning about Katrina trailers (75,000 families affected)

[seafan]

FEMA accused of suppressing health warning

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 18:21:18 GMT

WASHINGTON, July 19 Evidence presented in Washington on Thursday indicated that the Federal Emergency Management Agency suppressed vital health warnings.

Internal e-mail messages presented to the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee showed that FEMA lawyers suppressed findings that showed formaldehyde gas were present in trailers used to house Hurricane Katrina victims and FEMA employees, The Washington Post said.

Investigators found that the gas levels were reported by FEMA field workers but were suppressed by FEMA attorneys, who wanted to minimize the organization's liability.

There are nearly 75,000 households who were displaced by Katrina living in the FEMA-provided trailers.

The Post said that on Wednesday, FEMA asked the Centers for Disease Control to launch an investigation into the alleged health problems caused by their emergency vehicles

This was also just mentioned on Thom Hartmann, in an interview with Christie Harvey.

Harvey:

Major story will be in WP tomorrow morning.

Waxman is following this:

Last spring, many people getting sick in FEMA trailers.....75K still live in ....formaldehyde is off the charts in trailers.... found out today that FEMA was alerted to this when it was first discovered, but the FEMA officials decided NOT to test the trailers, because the toxic findings would make them liable for it.

Formaldehyde is carcinogenic, causes liver and kidney damage.

Nothing is being done about it. The intent is to PROTECT director Paulson from legal harm. He said in response to the information about the toxic fumes inside the trailers... "Just open the windows and air these trailers out."

Bush is going to veto the kids' health insurance. Not poor enough for Medicaid, but have too little income to be covered. Bush is afraid of the effect on the big ins. co's. Christie Harvey said Bush actually said that.

(All above notes I took from from this radio interview.)

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. What can be done with homes filled with this. And WHY is it even there?

[tridim]

2. This is a criminal act and whoever approved this should pay. nt