More than 38,000 families are being uprooted from their trailers because Federal Officials are claiming that tests show dangerous levels of formaldehyde in many of their homes.
What else do these poor families have to endure? I can't imagine having my everyday life, and things I worked so hard for to be uprooted by a devastating hurricane. Now, the trailers that FEMA provided for these families, are coming back with high levels of formaldehyde??!! How is that possible?
Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said a test of 519 trailer and mobile homes in Louisiana and Mississippi revealed that a third had unacceptably high levels of formaldehyde for children, the elderly and people with respiratory problems. She said 5% of trailers registered fumes so toxic that even healthy adults would suffer respiratory symptoms if exposed for long periods of time.
FEMA is claiming they are taking prompt action in resolving this matter, but reports of this date back to almost two years ago. When asked about why it has taken so long to announce, the Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator David Paulison, skirted around those questions just answering ,
FEMA had "been very aggressively moving people out of travel trailers" and noted that 15,000 families had been moved since November and that 800 to 1,000 are moved out every week.
"We do care about the people. We are moving as fast as we can," he said.
There is a list of signs and symptoms of formaldehyde exposure and what to look for:
Signs of exposure are:
-watery eyes
-coughing
-wheezing
-nausea
-skin rashes
-burning sensations of the eyes, nose, and throat
If you yourself are living in these trailers, or know someone who does, here is a list of information to report your trailer and the situation.
Reporting your toxic trailer:
-To report formaldehyde problems to FEMA, call 1-866-562-2381.
-To request emergency housing, call 1-800-621-3362.
-To request reimbursement for medical expenses caused by formaldehyde exposure, fax a doctor's letter along with bills to 1-800-827-8112.
-To purchase a formaldehyde self-test kit for $34, call Advanced Chemical Sensors at 561-338-3116.
Source: toxictrailers.com, sierraclub.com
