Katrina trailer makers knew of problems

[deminks]

http://www.americablog.com/2008/07/katrina-trailer-makers-knew-of-problems.html

It's bad enough that the companies knew, but the Republicans have the nerve to dismiss health issues as a non-issue. Uh huh, sure. Why don't they live in one of those trailers for one week and then let us know how great they were. What a sad little bunch of apologists, but this is typical. Excessive rates of formaldehyde in the air is not "just normal business" as the GOP suggests. That's putting the lives of families at risk. These are people who did not ask to be hit by a hurricane. What bastards.

The report by Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is at odds with an analysis done by Republican staffers on the same committee. The Republican report found that trailer manufacturers should not be held accountable for the high levels of formaldehyde — a preservative commonly used in building materials — in trailers that the Federal Emergency Management Agency set up to house people displaced by Katrina in 2005. Republicans say it is the government's fault for not having standards for safe levels of formaldehyde in trailers.

But Democrats say their staff interviewed employees from one of the manufacturers — Gulf Stream Coach — who said they, too, were suffering effects from formaldehyde exposure, including nose bleeds, shortness of breath, dizziness and bleeding ears. One employee told investigators that there was a foul odor throughout the plant.

Gulf Stream Coach, Inc., received the bulk of the FEMA trailer contracts after Katrina, collecting more than $500 million.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080709/ap_on_go_co/toxic_trailers;_ylt=Ak7brNWLHFB0iVcwZ8IGWZys0NUE

GOP sides with businesses over toxic trailers

WASHINGTON - Trailer manufacturers defended themselves Wednesday on Capitol Hill, insisting they're not responsible for FEMA trailers that had toxic levels of formaldehyde, despite Democrats' claims the companies knew the dangers yet didn't do anything about it.

Top executives from four companies backed the safety and quality of their products in what is shaping up to be a partisan fight over who is to blame for health issues afflicting Katrina victims who lived in their trailers after the hurricane.

Democrats say the manufacturers should have taken more tests when medical complaints surfaced and done more to protect the displaced Katrina victims living in these trailers. Republicans say it is the government's fault for not having standards for safe levels of formaldehyde in trailers.

About 1 million people were displaced because of Katrina, and thousands were sent to emergency travel trailers that were later discovered to have high levels of formaldehyde — a preservative commonly used in building materials. Prolonged exposure can lead to breathing problems and is also believed to cause cancer. Shortly after Katrina, residents of FEMA-issued trailers reported frequent headaches, nosebleeds and other ailments.

[ColbertWatcher]

1. Can they now ask for immunity? n/t

[SmileyRose]

2. The issue SHOULD be

giving the building industry the tools to use affordable products that do not contain formaldehyde. A new RV, by it's very nature, is going to be loaded with it just as any brand new house or newly remodled house full of new furniture will be.

I am unclear why the RV builders and manufactured home builders are being slammed. They certianly didn't go out of the way to add extra formaldehyde and their affordable options for alternatives are slim to none.

[RB TexLa]

3. They were going to Louisiana, Americans wouldn't have given a shit if they knew.