FEMA Suspends Disaster Trailer Sales

Agency Halts Distribution Of Trailers While It Studies Formaldehyde Risks

(CBS/AP)  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.

In May, CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian broke the story of the nearly 86,000 families with rising health problems still living in FEMA trailers across the Gulf.

FEMA provided about 120,000 travel trailers to victims of the 2005 hurricanes. The health review comes after some occupants last year began reporting illnesses, including nosebleeds and headaches.

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.

The agency recently sent about 40 of the trailers to Miami, Okla., where residents were forced out of their homes because of flooding.

Officials said FEMA may continue using other types of manufactured housing, such as mobile homes designed as long-term housing, to help disaster victims.

[allaire_de]

Fema stepped in with an extraordinary effort to provide relief. Was fema 100% effective, no, was fema right to utilize Travel Trailers? I can't think of a better way to quickly provide housing for such a huge number of families. Was Fema prepared for this disaster? Looks like they were not but should we expect them to be ready for immediate reaction on all potentially large disasters when local citizens are unwilling to face their local disaster issues.

Lets put the blame back where it belongs it is the responsibility of citizens to elect a competent local and state governments that will address their needs and plan projects to reasonably protect their citizens. It was common knowledge that a major hurricane would breach the levy and their would be a large scale disaster.

Meanwhile Americans still flock to buy gulf and ocean front housing, expecting insurance risks to be subsidized buy state funded programs and shared by homeowners that choose to purchase homes in low risk areas. Why should an auto mechanic owning a $90,000 home in Ohio's insurance rate be adjusted one bit to help cover the risk of some CEO who chooses to build a $750,000 weekend home on the gulf coast? When the next big storm wipes out these weekend mansions owned by the few we will all be expected to pony up with disaster relief to rebuild there weekend home? I bet so! Come on America take back your country!

Al deCoudres
Conroe, TX

[jabrady2002]

A young couple I know purchased one of these trailers to put on their land as they built six months ago. She has been in the hospital for the past month trying to find out what is wrong with her. I told them about this story, and they called FEMA. Guess what, they are getting the run-around because they bought it as opposed to receiving it as temporary shelter.

So, all the cash made off the sale of those thousands of trailers; and they aren't liable? Sure. I hope their attorney can throw FEMA under the bus before the girl dies.

[shelg2-2009]

The manufactures of these trailers were rushed to complete trailers for FEMA. Cutting corners and maximizing their profits. I will not surprise in the least, that they bought flooring, PVC pipe, paneling's and glue from China made products.
Bottom line in this whole mess, our government agencies and their management are awash in ineptness, corruption and greed.
I do like the idea that one poster presented! Take all these FEMA trailers, put them down by the border to house the Illegal Aliens, while they build the fence to keep them out.

[jonesforch]

FEMA provided the trailers....Why are they not talking or asking question about thee company or companies who bulit these trailers?

[bayougal007]

You people really need to grow up, as one of the thousands still living in a FEMA Trailer, in front of my damaged property, still waiting on the Road Home Program to get an assistance after my Insurance Co, raked me over the coals and cheated me out of the thousands of dollars owed to me (I have been with them for 25 years and I have not made One claim until now)Oh, and by the way I have a full time job working with first responders that not only live in FEMA Trailers, but work in them as well, because FEMA has not approved the Project worksheets to fix our Fire houses. I really hope and pray that none of you have to every loose everything you have worked for for your entire life over one night, and one more thing the Government built the levees that were suppose to be sturdy enough to withstand the hurricane in the first place. I live in St. Bernard Parish a little known place just about 5 1/2 miles from downtown New Orleans. We are a working class blue collar community with 29,000 homes and 6000 business that were all flooded with no less than 8 ft. of water, but you don't hear to much about us. Probably cause we aren't whinning enough.... Thank God for the churches because they are the only ones that cares wether or not we make it.

[coffeehead-2009]

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- The number of deaths in Louisiana blamed on Hurricane Katrina has risen to 799, the state's Department of Health and Hospitals said Wednesday, bringing the overall death toll to 1,033.


"What I'm hearing which is sort of scary is that they all want to stay in Texas. Everybody is so overwhelmed by the hospitality. And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway so this (chuckle) %u2013 this is working very well for them." %u2013Former First Lady Barbara Bush, on the hurricane evacuees at the Astrodome in Houston, Sept. 5, 2005 (Source)

"Now tell me the truth boys, is this kind of fun?" %u2013House Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-TX), to three young hurricane evacuees from New Orleans at the Astrodome in Houston, Sept. 9, 2005 (Source)

[billpl-2009]

120,000 trailers???????!!!!!!???????
86,000 families!!!!!!!??????!!!!!!!!

It's REALLY time to toss ALL these freeloaders out on the street!

[candy-apple]

How about laying part of the blame for these problems where it belongs? At the feet of those STILL living in FEMA Trailers. The trailers are supposed to be a temporary fix. The majority of those complaining are those that were living off of the system before Katrina and are continuing to do so now. Get off of your lazy a?? and go to work and start helping yourself for a change.

[dahunter5]

FEMA may not be perfect, but remember after Katrina congress and the media whined they didn't react fast enough. The pace was stepped up vouchers, food, trailers, temp housing,and funds to rebuilt were distributed as fast as possible. Now after they busted their butts to help, while others whined, back off, in a crisis everything isn't perfect, and it seems like those that helped themselves got help and those that whine are still whining. Cut FEMA some slack and go after congress, they are the ones who can make a mess out of a free lunch. dah 8/2/2007

[drivelphobe]

I am certain that the FEMA trailers are the cheapest on the market, but our government paid as much as it would cost an individual to purchase a new Airstream custom. Maybe we could use them to house illegal aliens while they're waiting for deportation.

[dovidas2002]

Has anyone ever walked into a brand new travel trailer on a dealer's lot? The formaldehyde odor from the fresh paneling will sometimes make your eyes water. And remember these FEMA trailers are from the cheapest source possible, so what do you expect? Some travel trailers/motor homes I have looked at have no odors what so ever when delivered. But they are usually the expensive ones, not the cheap ones in the back of the lot. Could you hear the outcry if FEMA bought Airstream (c)trailers for emergency use? Another example of the press sensing blood in the water.

[barbjc1]

The question about these travel trailers now is "who is manufacturing them?"
I live in Kansas and Miami, Oklahoma just sent them back.
Also FEMA is such a farce the residents of Coffeyville are still living with piles of garbage and trash not picked up after the high flood water receded a month ago because of "FEMA" paperwork.
Please Congress get rid of FEMA and Homeland Security, it does not work except for the contractors that are favored by government agencies.

[mswolfestock]

SUGGESTION: Send these trailers to Iraq.

[generey]

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.

Our "leader's". Scary.