Only my over-wrought imagination forces me to think about Ottawa Chief Pontiac, Lord Jeffery Amherst and smallpox-laden blankets.
FEMA trailers toxic, tests show
Facing Relocation
Jim “Hawk” Herring, with his dog Koko, lives in a FEMA trailer in the Lakeview area of New Orleans. With recent government tests confirming high levels of formaldehyde in the temporary residences, U.S. health officials are urging that hurricane victims be relocated as soon as possible.
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Unhealthy levels of formaldehyde are found. The agency will expedite efforts to relocate occupants.
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By Thomas H. Maugh II and Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
February 15, 2008
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GULFPORT, MISS. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Thursday that it would accelerate efforts to get victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita out of government-supplied trailers after tests showed that the temporary residences contain unhealthy levels of toxic formaldehyde.
Tests in a statistically sampled selection of 519 trailers showed that formaldehyde levels averaged five times higher than levels in new housing, and in some cases much higher than that.
(Alex Brandon / Associated Press)
There are no federal standards for formaldehyde levels, but Dr. Julie L. Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a news briefing Thursday that about a third of the homes had levels high enough to create problems for children, the elderly and adults who already have respiratory problems. About 5% of the homes had formaldehyde levels high enough to make even healthy adults sick.