GOP: Don't blame manufacturers for toxic trailers

[babylonsister]

GOP: Don't blame manufacturers for toxic trailers
By EILEEN SULLIVAN Associated Press Writer



Jul 8th, 2008 | WASHINGTON -- Companies that make recreational vehicles should not be blamed for high levels of formaldehyde in FEMA trailers, according to a report by House Republicans.

The partisan analysis instead points the finger at the federal government for not having standards for safe levels of formaldehyde before Hurricane Katrina victims lived in the trailers.

"Blaming trailer manufacturers for doing what was expected of them would be misplaced and ineffective," according to the report by the Republican staff on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

The committee is holding a hearing Wednesday when the heads of four major travel trailer manufacturers will testify.

The report also faults the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Environmental Protection Agency for controversial testing that led to misleading results about the formaldehyde exposure. Last year, scientists tested hundreds of FEMA trailers and found potentially dangerous levels of formaldehyde.

more...

http://www.salon.com/wires/ap/2008/07/08/D91PU7BG0_toxic_trailers/index.html

[billyoc]

1. "...according to the report by the Republican staff..."

Shocking. :eyes:

[IntravenousDemilo]

2. So they're saying, "Blame us instead." Refreshing little mea culpa from the Republicans... n/m

[babylonsister]

3. That's what it sounds like to me, too, but are they that dumb? And why

are they protecting the manufacturers?

[yardwork]

5. I smell the scent of kickbacks in the air...

The Republicans protect the manufacturers from lawsuits, and the manufacturers make sure that the Republicans get reelected.

So much for the "party of individual responsibility."

[Fovea]

7. They are scrambling for jobs in the private sector.

And here they are, down on the kneepads.

[Frances]

4. I thought Reagan's watchword was DEREGULATION

The Repubs' arguments was that gov't over-regulated private businesses (corporations) and that the free market would provide all the protection Americans needed!

[KT2000]

6. VOLUNTARY - VOLUNTARY!!!!

the GOP is great at stalling regulation of toxic chemicals by establishing voluntary compliance to suggested levels. This is done in many products such as cosmetics and personal care products.

There are also no legal limits for a stick built home that uses the same type of materials. Actually there are no legal limits at the consumer level I can think of - there are only limits established for workers. The manufacturers will not be held liable, period.

The only reason there are liomits on manufactured houses is because lots of people got permanently sick and something was done about it. Since that time, business has learned to work the system so as not to allow more regulation on consumer products.

[AndyTiedye]

8. Nobody Could Have Predicted that Urea-Formaldehyde Foam Would Contain Formaldehyde

:wtf: