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CDC: Gulf Coast Trailers Have Toxic Air
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by The Associated Press | February 14, 2008 at 06:33 am
1125 views | 32 Recommendations | 18 comments
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency — which supplied the trailers — should move people out quickly, with priority given to families with children, elderly people or anyone with asthma or other chronic conditions, said Mike McGeehin, director of a CDC division that focuses on environmental hazards.
"We do not want people exposed to this for very much longer," McGeehin said.
While there are no federal safety standard for formaldehyde fumes in homes, the levels found in the trailers are high enough to cause burning eyes and breathing problems for people who have asthma or sensitivity to air pollutants, said McGeehin.
CDC officials said the study did not prove people became sick from the fumes, but merely took a snapshot reading of fume levels. Only formaldehyde was tested, they added.
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René
New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Ty Randall
Roselle, New Jersey, United Statesmastabt
Nashville, United States
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (18)
at 06:46 on February 14th, 2008
I like this story. It's good stuff. The subject matter, though, makes me a bit queasy.
at 08:36 on February 14th, 2008
Too bad we lost Phil. He said that those same trailers are routinely used for troops; he's lived in them. He had a lot of background on this issue.
at 10:56 on February 14th, 2008
The CDC just finished giving a press statement on CNN early Thursday afternoon. Some highlights:
Dr. Julie Gerberdering and R. David Paulison, FEMA administrator, spoke to reporters on Thursday afternoon.
They stated they would be forming a Joint State Relocation Taskforce to help relocate families to other accomodations. This task force handles relocating, furnishings, apartments, hotels and new trailers.
They also said they would be moving people out immediately, and putting them up in apartments, hotels and any other places they can find.
Fema teams are on the ground, to match families with available housing
800-1,000 families are usually moved each week
15,000 families have moved since November, but at least 5-6,000 families are left in FEMA trailers in group sites, which adds up to around 16,000 people (About 3 people per unit on average).
"We have not worked out a cost system, that doesn't matter," says Paulison. "Some of these people have been living in these trailers for two years and that's not good living conditions for anyone."
"We want to close the group sites down and get people into some decent housing."
Over 30% of the trailers tested for ormaldehyde showed levels that were too high.
at 11:21 on February 14th, 2008
People living in temporary trailers in the 9th ward of New Orleans - 2 years post-Katrina
NursiePoo has contributed a photo to this story.
at 12:53 on February 14th, 2008
I like FEMA's instructions to the people living in the trailers.
"FEMA'S recommendation for fixing the problem? Open the windows and turn on the air conditioner."
And CBS News has discovered an internal FEMA document that cites cancer as a potential job hazard for those just inspecting the trailers.
at 13:41 on February 14th, 2008
The Associated Press, Good stuff. It is unconscionable that these unfortunate people complained about a smell and ailments yet, nothing was done.
at 13:52 on February 14th, 2008
It begs the question: why has this "temporary housing" been deployed for two years?
at 17:34 on February 14th, 2008
It does indeed, Jordan!
at 13:52 on February 14th, 2008
It begs the question: why has this "temporary housing" been deployed for two years?
at 15:37 on February 14th, 2008
The Associated Press, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 16:04 on February 14th, 2008
I flagged this story because in my opinion this is a story with a huge impact. We not only have failed to rebuild down there butthe trailers they weregiven are toxic????? How can FEMA knowingly use these trailers given the CBS memo that I read about. I have friends who live down there, but that aside on a basic human leve this NEVER SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED PERIOD!!! <OPEN THE WINDOWS AND TURN ON THE AC YEAH RIGHT 2 YEARS OF BREATHING IT AND ITS THATS GOING TO HELP> People need to know about this story!
at 16:11 on February 14th, 2008
I flagged this story because in my opinion this is a story with a huge impact. We not only have failed to rebuild down there butthe trailers they weregiven are toxic????? How can FEMA knowingly use these trailers given the CBS memo that I read about. I have friends who live down there, but that aside on a basic human leve this NEVER SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED PERIOD!!! <OPEN THE WINDOWS AND TURN ON THE AC YEAH RIGHT 2 YEARS OF BREATHING IT AND ITS THATS GOING TO HELP> People need to know about this story!
OK I DONT KNOW WHY THE FLAG CAME UP SEPERATE FROM MY COMMENT AND WHY IT APPEARED THREE TIMES BUT I AM SO TERRIBLY SORRY!!!!!!!
at 16:08 on February 14th, 2008
at 21:29 on February 14th, 2008
Photo taken on morning of 5/10/2006 from inside the Holt Cemetery in New Orleans Parrish on the General Diaz Street side facing North toward the Delgado Community College parking lot where the FEMA trailers were located.
Ty Randall has contributed a photo to this story.
at 23:34 on February 14th, 2008
The Associated Press, Why anyone would use OSB and the resulting off gassing of formaldehyde fumes as a binding agent in OSB boards as a building material smacks of stupidity. There are cheaper and better OSB alternatives. Even for short term temporary housing it can take years for the formaldehyde to completely offgas, as for cancer, well thats pretty much a given. Opening windows definitely won't help.
at 08:45 on February 15th, 2008
According to the Times-Picayune story on Feb. 14, there are 38,000 FEMA trailers still in use along the Gulf Coast.
Over 100,000 residents will have to be moved, and FEMA plans to do this within the next two weeks.
This will be very difficult as the housing market has sky-rockected since Hurricane Katrina. There are no more rentals for under $500. Acutally there are very few under $600 or $700. Many of those are in undesirable areas.
FEMA just can't do it. Many rental owners who do accept their vouchers, want assurances of enough income from prospective tenants to cover rent once the vouchers are phased out. Additional costs include increased utility bills. Electric and gas costs have increased radically since the hurricane hit the area.
René contributed this and this photos to this story.
at 17:22 on February 15th, 2008
WEll as Laurel Hardy once said, Thats another fine Mess you (Bush) has gotten us into,.