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Washington, DC -- Today, during the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing entitled “Manufacturers of FEMA Trailers and Elevated Formaldehyde Levels”, Congressman John Sarbanes again called on FEMA to create an inventory of alternative temporary housing for Gulf Coast residents and future hurricane victims. Sarbanes and his colleagues heard testimony from manufacturers of the trailers supplied to those displaced by the Gulf Coast hurricanes. The trailers have been discovered to have high levels of formaldehyde, which has caused many who lived in them after the storms to become sick. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expert who conducted testing of formaldehyde levels in the trailers also testified at the hearing.
“It’s outrageous that some of these companies knew about unsafe formaldehyde levels in their trailers and did nothing about it,” said Congressman Sarbanes. “It appears they were acting to protect their bottom line instead of the health of hurricane victims.”
Said Sarbanes, “I am also concerned that it has been almost two years since Congress required FEMA to come up with a National Disaster Housing Plan. Only last month did FEMA finally issue a preliminary blue print but they have not done nearly enough to move beyond the old stockpiles of travel trailers and mobile homes that are unsafe for full time occupants. We have been sorely lacking Presidential leadership in this area and it’s imperative that we get the remaining Gulf Coast residents out of the trailers that are making them sick and adequately prepare for the next natural disaster that displaces thousands of people.”
Investigations by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform starting in 2007 have helped to expose high levels of formaldehyde in FEMA trailers provided to Gulf Coast hurricane victims. Residents complained of adverse health effects from the trailers shortly after inhabiting them in 2006. An earlier hearing in 2007 led to FEMA initiating a recall of the trailers and moving hurricane victims into rental homes and apartments.
Today’s hearing included the heads of Gulf Stream Coach, Inc.; Pilgrim International; Keystone RV, Inc. and Forest River, Inc. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) testing found that the travel trailers manufactured by these four companies had significantly higher levels of formaldehyde than what would be expected indoors and recommended that FEMA immediately take steps to move people out of the trailers.
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