Congress Seeks Truth About Toxic Trailers

Italian firefighters and a dog search the debris of a collapsed house in Cavezzo, northern Italy, Tuesday, May 29, 2012. A powerful earthquake killed at least 15 people Tuesday as it rocked a swath of northern Italy. Factories, warehouses and churches collapsed, dealing another blow to a region where thousands are still homeless from a stronger temblor just nine days ago. The 5.8 magnitude quake drove thousands more from their homes in the Emilia Romagna region north of Bologna, one of Italy?s most agriculturally and industrial productive areas. (AP Photo/Marco Vasini) / Marco Vasini

Earlier this week, CBS News chief investigative reporter Armen Keteyian reported that 21 months after Hurricane Katrina, there is a public health crisis along the Gulf Coast.

Children are getting sick after prolonged exposure to fumes from the toxic chemical formaldehyde used in construction of thousands of FEMA travel trailers.

In the wake of that report, there are now calls for a congressional investigation, as well as new information that FEMA may have known about the problem more than a year ago.

Some 86,000 families still call FEMA travel trailers home. Formaldehyde fumes seeping from these trailers pose a serious health threat to some young children.

On Wednesday, the man in charge at FEMA, David Paulison, had this to say on Capitol Hill: "The formaldehyde issue was brought to our attention and we went out and investigated and used the EPA and other agencies to do testing. We've been told the formaldehyde does not present a health hazard."

Paulison's comments were based upon a report publicly released by FEMA two weeks ago. Read the report (14 pages).

But according to an internal FEMA document obtained by CBS News, FEMA knew of extremely high levels of the cancer-causing chemical more than a year ago, after its own employee safety department ran tests in March 2006.

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Read the internal FEMA document
Stay up-to-date on the investigation by checking out CBS News' investigative blog, Primary Source

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Those tests, done on 28 trailers, found at least 20 had levels of formaldehyde much higher than the EPA's recommended workplace limit of .1 parts per million. In one case, as much as 1,000 percent higher.

"This takes the cake," said Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La. "Now people living in the trailers have to worry if their children are breathing fumes that could cancer or some other disease."

After our report, Landrieu called for an investigation. A Republican congressman has also called for hearings into what FEMA knew ... and when.

Today, a FEMA spokesman said the internal document presented a "worst-case scenario" and that CBS News was misinterpreting the data. FEMA also said the chief medical officer for Homeland Security has begun looking into the matter.

[liteguy]

The formaldehyde has been in use for decades in mobile homes! Where has everyone been..***. This is true. I purchased a nice top of the line double wide, 3 bedroom, 2 bath, and even a hot tub in the master bedroom. When I moved into the trailer I found a warning label stuck to the inside of every cabinet. It said that some material in the construction of this mobile home may contain formaldehyde and cause breathing problems. I was not aware of this until after I bought the home. It just so happened that my wife has asthma. Her asthma was always messed up so we had to get out of the trailer. The hot tub was nice though.

[rich1620]

FEMA IS GIVING AWAY TRAILERS THAT WERE MANUFACTURED WITH "IMPORTED PARTICLE BOARD". This particle board contains super high levels of FORMALDEHYDE. The Bush administration is tired of all the complaints that these health hazards are causing FEMA so they are attempting to get them off their inventory. Guess who the luck recipients are? State and local governments with the police departments requesting the most.

[princesselms]

Interesting stuff I found out for my research paper in my BIOL 321, Lower Plants class, is that the fern Nephrolepis which makes a rather beautiful houseplant, is great at absorbing formaldehyde from the environment

[jdubs63]

Every region of our dear USA has it share of Mother Nature, but some of us do not complain and whine, we just pick up, rebuilt help thy neighbor and move on in life. What have we heard lately of the midwest floods and what is happening? Or the Whales in California in the Delta. or the small earthquakes occuring daily that continue to put cracks in cement. I think maybe people need better education and understand that life is what you do with it

[princesselms]

Interesting stuff I found out for my research paper in my BIOL 321, Lower Plants class, is that the fern Nephrolepis which makes a rather beautiful houseplant, is great at absorbing formaldehyde from the environment

[merauxla]

"We've been told the formaldehyde does not present a health hazard."
Maybe FEMA should read the data sheets out LONG ago showing that formaldehyde is a suspected carcinogen, seems they are the last to read anything!

To the folks who want to move BACK to N.O. into rebuilt homes- GET OUT! are you really THAT stupid? this city is several FEET below sea level, at the same time the land is subsiding ownward each year in measureable amounts, the sea level is rising due to global warming/glacier melting, this city WILL be under water again absolutely, time to stop spending money on this underwater drain and move to higher ground and abandon this dump.

I notice the "sick" boy in the video clip is laying in his bed in the "fume filled" trailer despite the nice warm sunny day outside, if the fumes are making him sick he should be OUTSIDE not laying in a bed full of formaldehyde next to walls full of it!
Posted by newster1 at 02:17 AM : May 19, 2007

hey newster1,
Thanks for the geography lesson. YES, we know it's below sealevel. We are not STUPID. Here's one for you, Hey California, watch out for EARTHQUAKES; Hey MidWest, why do they call you TORNADO ALLEY?, Oh, and New York and the rest of YOU GUYS, real sorry about the 14+ feet of SNOW this year.

In addition, maybe the little guy was TOO SICK to go outside and play.

[tampareads]

The human brain grows at 4,000 cells per second beginning in the 4th week of pregancy. Neurotoxic chemicals in trailers such as formaldehyde, vinyl plasticizers, treated carpet backing all fill the air, not only inhaled by the child, but also by hundreds of pregnant mothers. Children are then born with IQ's 10-20-30% less than their genetic make-up would have allowed. Personalities dulled - talents stolen. You can see how the financial savings of cheap trailers will cost us dearly when these compromised children grow up and require increased medical, special-education and social services. Hopefully, the media will someday jump in and educate us on the critical link between the environment and its potential to influence whether we do or don't reach our maximum genetic potential? Remember, 4000 cells per second.

[im4honesty]

simple solution.
Kick everyone out and throw away the trailers.
Katrina was 2 years ago, why are those people still there?
Posted by billpl




You sound like a republican.

[trillion1]

Anyone who thinks this goverment actually cares about the people is in Lalaland.I've seen goverment sponsored homerepairs on our neighbors houses and they go the cheapest route possible. China, to this day, is selling us contaminated food and the FDA hardly nods. The Pentagon could supply our troops with the best body armor on the market, Dragonskin, but refuse. These are just two examples. The goverment doesn't care about the food we import or our troops safety but we're to believe these trailers are perfectly safe. Sure, just like the air the first responders were breathing after 9-11. EPA said that wasn't a problem either.

[hissteps4u]

I lived through 5 different hurricans including Katrina. All of which the Government helped by either giving the trailers away or for a Nominal fee. it was a blessing then and even now. with the knowledge that the formaldehyde levels are so high is concerning especially if they knew about it and did nothing to rectify the situation.

Having been on the receiving end of such assistance it was greatly appreciated. knowing that the government allowed in defective trailers is nothing more than bad news among the already bad issues which stil revolve around such horriable storms.

I lived Through ivan, Katrina, Charlie, Denis,camille,Andrew I think I know about being hit by hurricans enough to know.

I finally moved away from Florida and the gulf coast I was tired of starting over every 5 to 10 years