BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. -- For nearly a year now, the ubiquitous FEMA trailer has sheltered tens of thousands of Gulf Coast residents left homeless by Hurricane Katrina. But there is growing concern that even as it staved off the elements, it was exposing its inhabitants to a toxic gas that could pose both immediate and long-term health risks.
The gas is formaldehyde, the airborne form of a chemical used in a wide variety of products, including composite wood and plywood panels in the thousands of travel trailers that the Federal Emergency Management Agency purchased after Katrina to house hurricane victims. It also is considered a human carcinogen, or cancer-causing substance, by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and a probable human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Air quality tests of 44 FEMA trailers conducted by the Sierra Club since April have found formaldehyde concentrations as high as 0.34 parts per million – a level nearly equal to what a professional embalmer would be exposed to on the job, according to one study of the chemical’s workplace effects.
And all but four of the trailers have tested higher than the 0.1 parts per million that the EPA considers to be an “elevated level” capable of causing watery eyes, burning in the eyes and throat, nausea, and respiratory distress in some people.
Becky Gillette, co-chair of the Mississippi chapter of the environmental group, said that representatives also have heard from numerous trailer inhabitants who say they began experiencing health problems ranging from headaches and runny noses to chronic respiratory problems and nosebleeds as soon as they moved in.
As a result of its testing and such accounts, the Sierra Club is pushing for a congressional investigation of the potential health hazards posed by the trailers.
“It’s simply wrong that the government would spend billions of dollars to poison people in these toxic tin cans,” Gillette said.
Pediatrician saw unusual illnesses
Dr. Scott Needle, a pediatrician in Bay St. Louis, said he noticed some unusual and persistent health problems among his patients living in the trailers well before the possible link to formaldehyde exposure surfaced.
“I was seeing kids coming in with respiratory complaints – colds and sinus infections – and they were getting them over and over again,” he said. “…Almost invariably, these families were staying in the FEMA trailers.”
A class-action lawsuit also has been filed in Louisiana, naming the federal government and trailer manufacturers as defendants and alleging that “the temporary housing is unsafe and presents a clear and present danger to the health and well-being of plaintiffs and their families.”
Read previous story: The lowdown on a Katrina icon
Despite the Sierra Club tests – and air quality testing by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in November that detected formaldehyde levels at FEMA trailer holding stations on the Gulf Coast as high as 5.0 parts per million, or 50 times the EPA’s “elevated” level – FEMA says the trailers are safe and there is no need for it to conduct its own air-quality testing.
“FEMA stands confident in using travel trailers for emergency sheltering,” said agency spokesman Aaron Walker. “… To put it in perspective, we have almost 115,000 trailers out right now, and FEMA has received just over 20 complaints total.”
Better ventilation recommended
Walker said those experiencing any adverse reactions to the trailer environment can likely resolve the issue by increasing ventilation.
“We encourage families living in the trailers, if they’re worried, to take steps to air out their trailers,” he said. “… If a family is uncomfortable with their trailer, they’re welcome to call our trailer hot line (and) we can come out and test their trailer and have a look at it.”
Trailer manufacturers contacted by MSNBC.com declined to comment on the issue because of the pending litigation and directed inquiries to the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association.
RVIA spokesman Kevin Broom echoed Walker in saying that the gas in the trailers poses no health threat.
“The industry uses low-emitting materials, so formaldehyde has not been an issue for 15 or 20 years at least,” he said.
Broom acknowledged that the high heat and humidity in the Gulf Coast could increase the rate of formaldehyde “outgassing” from wood products trailers, but added that ventilation should quickly take care of any problem.
“You can get it to dissipate very easily if you just ventilate it,” he said. “People may just need to be shown how to open the windows.”
Mary DeVany, an industrial hygienist from Vancouver, Wash., who has studied the formaldehyde issue, agrees that the high heat and humidity in the hurricane-ravaged zone exacerbate the problem. But she believes that the higher-than-usual readings in the FEMA trailers could be the result of the rush to manufacture the trailers in the wake of Katrina.
“Typically with these plywood and particleboard materials … before assembly they’re put in ovens that heat them to 130 degrees,” she said. “This sets and bakes off the formaldehyde in the glues and resins. ... I’m not sure that happened in this case because the trailers were made so fast.”
The RVIA’s Broom disputes that notion, saying such “baking” is performed by the manufacturer to reduce the formaldehyde leakage.
“That’s not something the RV industry would do,” he said of the process. “They would be buying certified low- emission materials.”
A patchwork of standards
Any effort to determine whether the formaldehyde levels present in the trailers pose a health threat is exacerbated by the patchwork of standards in place to regulate exposure to the chemical – none of which apply to travel trailers or recreational vehicles.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development limits the use of formaldehyde-emitting products in manufactured homes -- setting a standard of 0.2 parts per million for plywood and 0.3 parts per million for particleboard materials. But the agency does not regulate travel trailers or motor homes, probably because it was never anticipated that people would spend long periods of time living in them, said the Sierra Club’s Gillette.
The lack of an exposure standard reflects a bigger issue, said Dr. Norman Edelman, chief medical officer American Lung Association.
“The real problem is we haven’t done for indoor pollution what we’ve done four outdoor pollution and set national standards,” he said. “There are no indoor air quality air standards and I really think Congress should empower the EPA and NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) to set standards.”
Nor is there agreement on the long-term health risks from exposure to formaldehyde.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, classified it as “carcinogenic to humans” in June 2004 after reviewing 40 human studies, including a National Cancer Institute study linking exposure to an elevated risk of rare nasopharyngeal cancer.
California cracking down
The California Air Resources Board has identified formaldehyde as a “toxic air contaminant” after state experts concluded that, based on current research, there is “no safe exposure threshold … to preclude cancer.” The agency is currently developing regulations aimed at sharply reducing the amount of formaldehyde products used in the state by 2010.
But no U.S. health or environmental agencies have followed the IARC in declaring the chemical to be a human carcinogen, saying more research is necessary. And the industry groups have sponsored research that they say shows the potential risk associated with exposure has been overblown.
“All of the available and still-emerging human health research data is demonstrating that if formaldehyde exposure is kept below levels that produce chronic irritation and overt target tissue damage, the risk of cancer is essentially zero,” according to the Formaldehyde Council, an industry group.
The debate is far from academic for Katrina survivors who are nearing their one-year anniversary living in the trailers.
DeVany, the industrial hygienist, said that children and the elderly are most at risk, the former because they have higher respiration rates than adults and the latter because they are likely to be exposed to the fumes more than those who work and only return to their trailers at night.
“A year from now, the formaldehyde will be gone, but the permanent and lasting effects from these exposures will not,” she said.
Fumes forced couple to flee
Sounding a similar warning, though one born from personal experience, are Paul and Melody Stewart of Bay St. Louis, who say formaldehyde forced them out of their FEMA trailer and into their truck.
The couple said that even though they had a friend air out the Cavalier trailer and run the heater before they arrived, the smell when they walked in was overpowering. And Melody said she had a nosebleed the first night they stayed in it.
“(The smell) was really bad, but we went and ahead and went to bed,” she said. “Within hours, I woke up to the smell – it was that strong – and I was gasping for fresh air. I ran to the window.”
The couple continued to ventilate the trailer and also tried removing composite wood panels from beneath the bed and table bench and replacing them with solid wood, but nothing seemed to help.
Finally, when their pet cockatiel took ill, they decided they had to do something.
“We got up one morning and the cockatiel was lethargic, wouldn’t move, was losing its balance,” said Paul, a police officer in neighboring Waveland. “… (Later), the vet told us unequivocally, ‘Look, you either get the bird out of that environment or he’s going to die.’”
The Stewarts complained to FEMA and received two replacement trailers – the first of which also smelled of formaldehyde and a second that had swathes of mold and a stove top that looked like it had been “used at a Waffle House,” Paul said.
Fed up, they called FEMA and told the agency to come take the trailer away, then spent five days living in their truck before using their last $50,000 in savings to buy a “fifth-wheel” trailer devoid of any formaldehyde odor.
“We took what resources we had left, and what we really should have used to rebuild our house, and went out and bought our own camper,” Paul said.
Since then, the Stewarts have granted numerous media interviews, intent on spreading word of the possible hazards.
“We’re here because there are so many people at risk (and) they’re in the shadows,” Melody said. “You’ve got Christians, hard-working people that have lost their jobs and retired people who have paid their dues to society, and we’re putting them at risk by letting them stay in these campers.”
Race for the building bonanza
So just what does the Sierra Club suggest would have been a more acceptable answer to the problem of the epidemic of homelessness that occurred in the wake of Katrina?? To have the gov't build everyone a new home in the immediate aftermath, using formaldehyde-free building materials?? To attack the short-term solution that was utilized without offering an idea for a better solution that is logistically feasible, isn't constructive or helpful. Anyone can criticize! In the days and weeks after the storm, the majority of people living in FEMA trailers now were living either a)outdoors in tents, b)in the remains of their damaged homes, c)in their vehicles, or d)in hotel rooms or with family members, out of state. I recognize that the FEMA trailers are not an ideal answer to the problem, but would the people living in them now be any less at health risk if they had been living outdoors in tents in the elements, or in their water-damaged homes contaminated with mold and bacteria? Formaldehyde is a carcinogen, yes, but so are many, many substances we come into contact with everyday in the course of our lives. Gasoline fumes, sheetrock dust, paint, glue, asphalt, fiberglass insulation, cigarette smoke, UV sunlight, silicone, dozens if not hundreds of others...you mitigate your cancer risk by minimizing your exposure to these substances; short-term, low-level exposure is considered by most researchers to be low risk, with the risk increasing as the exposure is prolonged. In the absence of any other alternatives I think the FEMA trailers are a necessary and hopefully short-term evil. The same materials being used in the construction of FEMA trailers are being used in the construction of mobile homes and travel trailers all over the country. So, if the people living in the FEMA trailers are at risk, doesn't that mean by extension that anyone living in a mobile home or spending any extended length of time in a travel trailer is at an equal risk? Why doesn't the Sierra Club take this attack from sea to shining sea to create a nationwide panic, instead of trying to instigate merely a local one?
Mike Scheid, Long Beach, Mississippi (Sent Jul 21, 2006 4:54:44 PM)
1. People stay a long time in trailers. I think this is a potentially serious issue because people stay a long time in FEMA trailers. There are some FEMA trailers in Florida that are now in their fourth year. I think it's time to look into this question of formaldehyde. In fact I'd suggest that the Sierra Club or a health agency monitor the older trailers.
2. Air out your trailer? In the summer in Mississippi/Louisiana? These trailers are not designed like your grandmother's house with big screened windows and a front porch. They have small windows and air conditioning. I'd like to see Michael Chertoff, FEMA's boss as head of Homeland Security, move his own family from their comfortable digs into a FEMA trailer in Louisiana, then turn off the A/C and "air it out" in July.
George Hamilton, Tampa, Florida (Sent Jul 24, 2006 1:33:28 AM)
As a former OSHA compliance officer and practicing Industrial Hygienist, I have to sympathize with the residents of those small trailers. Formaldehyde *has* been reduced in manufactured housing, but it can show up in specific units for a variety of reasons. Given that this chemical is a recognized carcinogen (in the civilized world, anyway), FEMA's response to complaints are unacceptable. Until testing is done, no one knows what the level might be. It might be below a regulatory threshold, or it might be above it. Until the test is performed, no one knows. More to the point, this problem can be addressed and solved quickly. There are a number of companies that manufacture formaldehyde detectors, some electronic, others more low-tech (but still accurate at +/- 25% or less). One such company is SKC. FEMA should then take a representative sample of trailers and test for formaldehyde. If the formaldehyde concentration exceeds their criteria level, then there are procedures that can be followed to reduce the exposure to the residents. The procedure is relatively inexpensive, it can be done quickly and it will leave FEMA with a positive rather than negative legacy regarding this issue. If FEMA can keep the high-dollar consultants from draining their budget, this one will be easy.
Richard Miller CSP, CIH, Houston, TX (Sent Jul 24, 2006 1:36:34 AM)
I find this story hard to believe. I have camped for years in a 28 ft. camper/trailer. I spend my summers at a campground with 200+ campers......and many large, new campers come in all the time. People stay in them for weeks at a time, and NOT ONCE have I ever heard of anyone becoming sick from staying in their camper.
We also travel with a camper and have never heard anyone complain of this problem in all the campgrounds in the various states we have visited.
This sounds like an excuse for people to sue.....and bilk more money from the taypayers. If they don't like the FEMA camper, then why don't they just buy a tent at their OWN expense.
No doubt these particular Katrina victims will demand to rebuild their house in the same location as their old house......so when the next hurricane comes and knocks it down, we, the taxpayers can dole out MORE money to have it rebuilt. These same residents will then demand a formaldehyde free, 'taxpayer paid for' Fema camper/trailer to stay in, while the taxpayers help rebuild their home!!!
M.L. Zielke, LaSalle, IL (Sent Jul 24, 2006 3:14:37 AM)
The Sierra Club can get bent. Anything for them to get their name in print or in a sound bite. Where is their alternative solution? How many people have they "rescued" from this peril?
Tim (Sent Jul 24, 2006 5:58:26 AM)
PLEASE TRY AND LIVE IN A FEMA TRAILOR WITH 4 GENERATIONS...FORGET THE TOXICS....YES, WE ALL HAVE HAD CONTINUOUS RESPITORY INFECTIONS CONTINUALLY...FROM 4 YEARS OLD TO 84 YEARS OLD, WE ARE LIVING LIKE RATS IN A SARDINE CAN.....ONE GRANDCHILD WITH LUKEMIA, AN 84 YEAR OLD FATHER WITH ALZHEIMERS...NOT TO MENTION THE COUNTLESS DOGS AND CATS WE HAVE TAKEN IN...SO PLEASE DO NOT JUDGE UNTIL YOU HAVE WALKED A MILE IN THESE SHOES.
Ginny Johnson (Sent Jul 24, 2006 6:08:51 AM)
After all is said and done it comes down to 1 thing. It must be George Bushes fault.
Bob Yaze, Cincinnati, Ohio (Sent Jul 24, 2006 6:13:18 AM)
Sounds as if Mike has an invested interest in travel trailers. Perhaps if he were made to live in one of the tin cans he would change his opinion. Of course if he is the die hard Republican then it would make little difference. Everything he touches smells bad.
As for FEMA testing the trailers for formaldehyde, of course they will refuse to do so. As long as they can deny the problem they will not have to admit to another blunder associated with Katrina. If we look deep enough we will probably find the Formaldehyde Council is 'high' on giving to Republican campaigns and this is merely their reward for doing so. Scratch my back and I'll scratch yours, with green power {not to be confused with Sierra green}.
Jerry Gifford (Sent Jul 24, 2006 6:57:25 AM)
Right on Mike! To critcize with out a viable solution is something I can't stand. The Sierra Club has always done that.
Garry, Dallas, OR (Sent Jul 24, 2006 7:38:32 AM)
I think we all do the best we can when it comes to an emergency like Katrina - I don't believe the trailers were ment to be a long term solution. Health issues are a concern for sure and need to be addressed even for a short term lodging - unfortunately "Katrina type Hurricanes" will continue.
Rufus Schuster (Sent Jul 24, 2006 7:54:19 AM)
yeah formaldehyde was there....guess what that meant......the trailor was new!!!!!....and people had a roof over their heads
andy,booneville ms. (Sent Jul 24, 2006 8:02:25 AM)
Stories like this one are sensational enough, however when incorrect terms like "fumes" are used to describe a gas (which was properly used earlier in the article)it creates a credibility gap. A fume is solid particle and is created from the condensation of vaporized metal (Example: welding fumes).
Kevin Haughaboo, CSP Commerce Georgia (Sent Jul 24, 2006 8:06:36 AM)
Since when are " obnoxious fumes" considered a "toxic gas" .. I suppose that your body sweat can be considered a "toxic gas" as "BO fumes" stink too. If you get close enough, long enough, you'll gag and get nauseated as well ! I bet the Sierra Club waited until the temperature was 99 degrees and the humidity was 99% and the trailer had all the windows closed for 24 hours. The solution is not complaining about the building material or the fumes but to get some ventilation working properly in the FEMA trailer. The formaldehyde fumes will eventually evaporate as the wood in the trailer dries out. The humidity on the coast just exacerbates the problem ! Try getting a dehumidifier or an air conditioner to rectify the humidity problem. By the way ..if you take the same FEMA trailer and put it in Michigan; then open the windows and get the air circulating, the obnoxious fumes dissipate. Oh and another by the way: "for all the hundreds of thousands of RV's on the roads, don't forget to have the Sierra Club test your RV and then start a class action suite against the RV manufactures for trying to kill you with poison gas".
Joe, Oxford Michigan (Sent Jul 24, 2006 8:11:51 AM)
It's unfortunate people with the new housing are getting sick. When I built my new home, I experienced some of the same problems for a little while. I was told the fumes from the new lumber, carpet, and other house hold features may irratate my sinus until the fumes escaped. It worked, so keep airing those trailers out!
Cleveland, AL (Sent Jul 24, 2006 8:54:00 AM)
As the saying goes No good deed goes unpunished". The more help offered to the DP's along the Gulf coast the louder they have complained. The Stewarts, for example received not one but three trailers, the last of which they obviously coud not possibly have lived in because it "looked like (the stove) it had been used at a waffle house". It is disgusting that so few of those affected have expressed gratitude for the contributions of those from all over the country, but can't wait to sign up for the clas-action suits engineered by greedy lawyers. It will be the proverbial "cold day in hell" before I again contribute to the relief of those who will not take responsibility for their own welfare. Note that the Stewarts had $50,000 available for that use but were unwilling to do so!
Harry Colbert, Paducah, KY (Sent Jul 24, 2006 9:01:31 AM)
Give me a break. Are you implying that evacuees should be thankful for second-rate shelter? We ALL pay taxes and we ALL participate in the system -- and if I were ever face with such a calamity, I would expect much more COMPETENCE from FEMA and my local government services. The FEMA-supplied shelters were overpriced, delivered late, and, as it turns out, not up to open-market standards. This incompetence will run unchecked until someone stands up and speaks out. Bless the Sierra Club for taking a stand and let's hope real change happens before the next calamity. (Reminder: Bush's 2004 campaign slogan was "It's YOUR money.")
Mich Novak-Uzzle (Sent Jul 24, 2006 9:13:02 AM)
Can you trust the complaints of individuals who spent their last $50,000 to buy a travel trailer instead of fixing their home? It also seems as though these folks are a little to picky. Thier story is a good example of what is fundamentally wrong with many Americans; we are spoiled rotten. My extensive plan would take care of these people and immigration. Let these ungrateful Americans go to Mexico and live in the shantys and huts and allow these grateful immigrants to come here. Two problems solved!
Larry Jones, Morristown, Tennessee (Sent Jul 24, 2006 9:26:29 AM)
This situation is no surprise; once again, the US gov't is a shining example to the rest of the world. My question to Melody Stewart is: should the non-Christian, disabled (non-working) folks not be afforded safe places to live?
Barb Winslow (Sent Jul 24, 2006 9:28:38 AM)
I think it would have been cheaper to have built homes and put these people in good homes. Instead we will have lawsuits and people dying and other people getting rich off of the government.
Cindy B, San Antonio, Texas (Sent Jul 24, 2006 9:31:37 AM)
Do the Stewarts not realize the fifth wheel they bought is made of the same materials the fema trailers are made of. I think the people should be giving a choice of living in a fema trailer or making there own living arrangements.
K Blaschko Mankato,MN (Sent Jul 24, 2006 9:43:05 AM)
My parents live in a FEMA trailer in Folsom, LA and my mom has just started feeling sick. She has Fibromyalsia already and we thought it was a flare up, but it just didn't add up. The mold and pollen count wasn't high enough to be giving her a reaction as bad as she is having. Maybe it's the trailer?? Ya know, it wouldn't surprise me in the least that the US government would take the cheap way out and decide that it's better for a few casualties then to actually take care of the people. But what else is new? Don't they already have a name for it? Calculated casualties?? We just aren't used to them using the term for civilians.
Sunshine, Tulsa, OK (Sent Jul 24, 2006 9:43:31 AM)
The US government shouldn’t be in the housing business at all. Those unfortunate folks should have to solve there own problems of housing. Why our government supplies housing and money to victims has me baffled. The situation is sad, the folks affected are good tax paying citizens for the most part, but the government should only provide general aid and emergency supplies to the communities. Our taxes are being misspent on trailers and clothing. The tragedy is compounded by folks like the SIERRA CLUB coming in and negatively and adversely demanding the government now do something more than we already are. There isn’t any positive gain in attacking the hand that feeds, but the view from the SIERRA CLUB is expose the government as the real culprit, instead of having any helpful insight to improve the lot of those affected by Katrina. No mention of the incredibly high amounts of mold and mildew in all the trash, ruined furniture and wet home walls that would affect the folks living in these destroyed communities. In the mornings on a humid day (which are mostly all spring, summer, and early fall) the smell knocks you over as it’s everywhere in the air. Many better uses of the SIERRA CLUBS time and energy come to mind.
Valeri Moore (Sent Jul 24, 2006 9:44:35 AM)
Mike is exactly correct formaldehyde is used in products in hotels, appartment, as well as homes. The answer to reduce these toxic fumes is ventilation. There seems to be a lot of organizations in the gulf coast area wanting to blame the Federal Government for their woes but no one wants to take responsibility for themselves correct their problems. Instead of pumping a bunch of money into the region the government should put the residents to work cleaning up their properties.
Lloyd Deem, Kokomo, Indiana (Sent Jul 24, 2006 9:48:26 AM)
HEY, MY FAMILY OF 4 IS LIVING WITH MY DAUGHTER AND HER FAMILY OF 3 IN A 2 ROOM HOUSE. HOW ABOUT SENDING US ONE OF THOSE SMELLY TRAILORS UP HERE TO LIVE IN AND A FEMA CHECK.
T. THOMPSON L'TON NORTH CAROLINA (Sent Jul 24, 2006 9:50:49 AM)
All I can say is why doesn't the Sierra Club try to be of good to all of us. Be an organization that doen't dwell on political issues and become an organization to benefit mankind.
Wayne Sulkey (Sent Jul 24, 2006 9:53:19 AM)
This is absoutely terrible. The people in the Gulf Coast area already have enough to think about, react to, plan for, and pray about.....knowing that the Federal Government put our citizens in such a risky "home". Also, I believe the Sierra Club should go ahead & bring this to the national light. The Sierra Club is a wonderful group & I know they will find the best avenue to attack this. They have in our area, visit www.noolf.com and see how they have helped us fight the Department of Defense!
Dayna (Sent Jul 24, 2006 9:58:27 AM)
FEMA should at least distibute info to the people using these trailers that a danger exists, and to ventilate their trailers. It has to better than being outside in the fetid mud.
Gwen Smith, Wilmington, Delaware (Sent Jul 24, 2006 9:58:53 AM)
Whoa you spent $50,000 on a camper?????????? I am tring real hard to be understanding - But I too want to build a house (having trouble coming up with the $50,000) - but I would buy a $20.00 tent and a coleman stove and start working on my house. But thats just me. Yes I know I am not on the ground there. I saw my brothers house get "written off" for about a foot of the drywall being ruined" Plus I saw various agencies give him $10,000 as a gift not a loan. I cleaned up houses in GA when I was in the USMC and yeah it sucked, people lost everything they had. As a collective whole, they didn't whine for everything. They got a scoop shovel, some wheel barrows and got rid of the mold (and the memories) and put their lives back together. The same goes for cleaning up after hurricanes in North Carolina while stationed there. My wife's Grandma's house got flooded out, but I never saw no FEMA Trailer pull up. Granted she lives in a small town in WV not a big tourist trap like the Gulf Coast but she paid her taxes just the same. My point is, how many times do you expect the general public to dish out money for houses getting wiped out only for them to rebuild again in a ___________ zone (insert the appropiate geographical diaster)
Dumb Taxpayer (Sent Jul 24, 2006 10:03:44 AM)
The "baking process" referred to does not take place during the trailer manufacturing process. At least I am not aware of a manufacturer who heat treats the wood composite materials used in manufacturing. Instead the "baking" occurs when the composite wood panel is manufactured. This does set the glue and stabalize the panel. The wood materials used in the manufacturing of the FEMA trailers is no different than those used in a typical home or any other pre-fab house construction. Seems logical that these trailers would get hot during the summer if left during the day with no air conditioning or ventilation. Does someone have to show them how to open the windows?
Rodney Haas Tuscaloosa, AL (Sent Jul 24, 2006 10:06:46 AM)
Anyone that has been to or lived in that area in Summer knows that you do not just open a window when it is that unbearably hot and humid.
Jennifer (Sent Jul 24, 2006 10:18:29 AM)
This is the worst thing I have ever heard. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina the RV industry went into overdrive to help the victims, often at the cost of lossing business from existing customers. People working seven days a week for months on end. Although I am sure the Sierra Club cares nothing about that. Maybe after the next disaster the Sierra Club will have time to check the air quality in all of the tents and cars that people are sleeping in, since they want to alienate the RV industry. Oh, and by the way, does buying another RV solve the problem the family in story had, or are we to believe that substandard materials were brought in special for the FEMA units. What a shame, they go straight to the courts for their financial gain. God forbid they work together to find a soulution to the problem. Just sue the manufacturers so they go out of business and there is no one left who wants to help out next time. Great Idea, at least the lawyers will win.
Dissapointed, Elkhart, IN (Sent Jul 24, 2006 10:22:22 AM)
What does Christianity have to do with suffering?
Josef, Pittsburgh PA (Sent Jul 24, 2006 10:26:20 AM)
My wife and I began renovating an old house near Brimley, Michigan in 1974. The house was built, I believe, in the early 1900s. For months, we scraped off old paint which undoubtedly had lead as an ingredient, replaced old galvanized water pipes that had been wrapped in asbestos and later installed wall to wall carpeting and new paneling throughout the house during the winter months which meant the house was completely enclosed to save heat. When we neared completion of our renovation project, my wife and I began to have seizures beginning in the late 1970s. Our neurologist prescribed medications, Dilantin and Tegretol. Because various tests as to what caused the seizures were negative, according to the neurologist the seizures could have started because we had been exposed to formaldehyde fumes that evaporated from the binding (glues) of the new paneling and carpeting, especially since the house was not ventilated during the cold winter months. We sold the house in 1990; since then we have not experienced seizures, however as a precaution we continue to take the above anti-seizure medications but at a reduced amount and visit our neurologist on a regular, annual basis.
Howard T. Maki, 4748 S. Bay Mills Pt. Rd., Brimley, MI 49715 (Sent Jul 24, 2006 10:27:56 AM)
Why not include the great impedimentor the ACLU why your at it. Mr. Scheid hit the spike with the right sledge hammer!
Gene Montgomery, Montgomery, TX (Sent Jul 24, 2006 10:34:10 AM)
Why doesn't the sierra club just shut up until they can come up with a reasonable solution to anything???
John Doe, Seattle, WA (Sent Jul 24, 2006 10:41:40 AM)
While looking for living alternatives for my family we looked at trailers and mobile homes. I was shocked when the sales rep for a mobile home mentioned that there is a waver that every one must sign before purchasing a new mobile homes. The waver states that the buyer has knowledge that Formaldehyde was used to treat the inside of the trailer and the occupants can not sue the manufacturer for any illnesses related to the exposure of formaldehyde.
Robert King, Memphis, Tennessee (Sent Jul 24, 2006 10:44:51 AM)
Bad logic, Mike. You say "So, if athe people living in the FEMA trailers are at risk, doesn't that mean by extension that anyone living in a mobile home or spending any extended length of time in a travel trailer is at an equal risk?".
This is bad logic. The article stated that, in the rush to build the FEMA trailers that perhaps the formaldehyde was not baked off, as is the normal process. See the remarks by Mary DeVany. This is probably what happened.
Jack Hand, Virginia
Jack Hand, Fairfax Station, VA (Sent Jul 24, 2006 10:45:24 AM)
Hmmm, I missed the part where the Sierra Club was there on the scene in the aftermath donating tents to relieve the suffering.
John W Doe, Seattle, Wash. (Sent Jul 24, 2006 10:48:36 AM)
Instead of always relying on the government to house and feed us after a disaster (something that is by no means a given) I really think we should build our homes with features that will allow us better to cope with regional disasters. For example, we should have a spare bedroom 3.1 x 5.3 meters that allows up to four bunk beds to be placed in each of the four corners of the room. This allows an excess of the family members and friends a place to stay without having to sleep in the living room where no one can do anything in the home until they wake up. Similarly, the main living area in the home (which unually consists of a large, undivided living, dining, and kitchen area) needs to be separated into individual rooms so that activities or storm damage to one room, does not affect then entire lower level of the home. Separating rooms like this also prevents the rapid spread of fire and smoke and is also more energy efficient and structurally stable!
Chris Eldridge
Author of Environmental Practices (Trafford.com)
Chris Eldridge, Harrisburg PA (Sent Jul 24, 2006 10:50:02 AM)
Normally, I support the efforts of the Sierra Club and have even contributed to some of their causes. However, I think in this case, they are dead wrong. The FEMA trailer is an emergency solution. We should not expect perfection. I think it is a small imperfection to ask those living in them to open their windows.
Jonathan, Miami Beach, FL (Sent Jul 24, 2006 10:51:43 AM)
When we bought our trailer in 1986 we had to sign a release form on the formaldehyde exposure, and the health issuses. Being young and stupid never thought a thing of it. Till after we had children and they had cold after cold, ear infections and sinus trouble.
Jenny new york (Sent Jul 24, 2006 10:53:33 AM)
When I replaced the carpeting in my house during last winter I got headaches and nausea every night from the chemicals slowly emitting out of my new carpet. No one warned me of this. If I had known of this I caould of saved myself from unnecessary suffering and health risks. How was I supposed to ventilate my house in the winter? I looked into it and many carpet manufacturers are sued from carpet layers who get brain damage from long term exposure to these chemicals, yet millions of people put them in their homes. This is just like the formaldehyde in the wood paneling. No one is warned and the manufacturers tell us it's all just in our heads. Why do they poison us and get away with it? These materials should have giant warning labels on them, on the insides where people can read them, not behind the walls where no one can see them.
IV (Sent Jul 24, 2006 10:56:04 AM)
I just spent 9 months in Biloxi, Ms. living in my own camper. I had to wipe down my camper daily with disinfectant to keep the mold count down. Opening the windows was not an option, the "no-seeums" would flock through the screens, and bite worse than mosquitoes or fleas!! My heart goes out to the many homeless who are still living in tents, or in cars, or even under bridges, due to lack of housing. Many insurance companies still have not paid the people, leaving no money to rebuild. It is a deplorable situation. There are no easy answers there, but lots of tough descisions. Don't judge harshly, many people are still in shock. Good luck to all who remain.
Donna R. Park Hills, Mo. (Sent Jul 24, 2006 10:58:38 AM)
Since about 1977 I have purchased many travel trailers, RV's, motor homes, etc., and the NEW ones always have nearly unbearable levels of toxins in them.
That's why I always buy an OLD RV that doeesn't smell like plastic, formaldehyde, and other eye-burning, sinus irritating things.
Ventilation would help those unfortunate and lawsuit crazy professional victims.
Fred Furburggher (Sent Jul 24, 2006 10:59:04 AM)
It beats the alternative of living in a tent!!! Has the Sierra club changed its charter? Is it now controlled by lawyers looking for their next class action suite??
William Haggard, Chicago, IL (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:01:12 AM)
This is one of the most ridiculous articles I have read in a while. Every camper in the world deals with the same thing.. A camper, mobile home, even new home needs to be aired out.. Simple ventalation will cure this problem.. Just another wacko group, trying to make the government look bad. Maybe they should have been issued lean to's to ensure positive fresh air flow, oh wait that would expose them to the natural environment. Maybe the Sierra Club can find them suitable housing instead of trying to place blame and point fingers.
JD Donovan (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:02:41 AM)
The folks had to spend $50,000 on a trailer??? A very good used trailer can be had for under $20,000, and if a person has some tolerance for imperfection, which these folks obviously don't have, under $10,000. Seems to me that these folks are just a little bit "picky"? Why is it that everyone has the attitude that they have to have the best of everything during this crisis? No one seems to be willing to accept anything less, as if we owe them a king's accomodations just because they happened to choose to locate in an area below sea level. Gee, people, use some common sense, and be grateful that anyone helped you at all. I'd suggest you move, because next time our attitude may be to just let you wallow in the muck and mess. By the way, I don't have $50,000 in my savings account. Wonder if I could get someone to give me a trailer to live in for free? Or should I just find someone to sue so I can retire in luxury?
John Bates, Monett, MO (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:03:05 AM)
Whoa. Hold on there! The slant of this story severely undermines any of the facts that readers should know. Let's begin with the headline and terminology. "FEMA Trailers Toxic Tin Cans"
This is a deliberate attempt to have us believe that FEMA actually has something to do with the materials used in the construction of the trailers. In fact they are the same trailers available nationwide and are sold in far greater quantities to non-FEMA clients every year.
The toxicity of certain building materials has been suspected for years. That is truly the crux of the matter. These materials are used in all new construction, not just mobile homes. To imply that FEMA has anything at all to do with it is simply irresponsible. In other words, par for the course for what passes for objective reporting these days.
HotJavaJack (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:03:47 AM)
I agree with several others - if this family had $50K, why didn't they use it to fix/rebuild their home? They must be waiting for enough money to build a mansion! And I went thru Hurricane Hugo here in the Carolinas - didn't see FEMA paying to fix my home!!
Disgusted by the greedy, Western NC (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:05:32 AM)
I have been hearing about this problem for a few years now. I think the Stewart family is justified in making an issue out of it. As someone who has suffered from respiratory problems, I always make it a point to be aware what type of wood products that I buy. After doing my own reading on this subject, I found that particle board in particular is the type of wood that emits the highest concentration of formaldehyde fumes, so I can understand why these families are having a problem. I think if we are going to provide shelter for evacuees of a disaster area we should provide safe shelter. I wonder if the many structures we have built in Iraq contain particle board and wood of this quality and if any problems have been reported there?
Kim, Cincinnati, OH (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:05:56 AM)
What a load of garbage. Thanks, MSNBC, for falling to the lowest grade of reporting. I suppose the "Do Bras Cause Cancer?" article is next. You get the "F" for journalism award.
Anthony Laporte (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:06:12 AM)
It kills me that all we do is complain. Yes, it is a horrible shame that people are getting sick, but if those trailers had not shown up the screaming would have continued even louder. This was a catastrophic event that no one could prepare for. People on both sides are trying their best, but too many folks refuse to see that. Is this another issue to address? Yes, but enough of the finger pointing. I've been there. I've walked through town where nothing was left and seen the destruction. It's horrible and it will take time to rebuild. This is what brings this country down. Two sides of an issue where no one will say, ok we have a problem. Let's address it without getting nasty and get things done.
Niki, Colorado (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:09:34 AM)
"Those who can, do and those who can't, (sierra club), criticize.
L. D. Gooch (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:13:02 AM)
I live in a mobile home park so hope that my place is safe.
Gwenne
Gwenne Lefkowitz, Chatsworth, CA (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:18:30 AM)
Blame it all on George Bush -- isn't that really why you wrote the article ---- How much money did Clinton get to store the 10,000 trailers FEMA has not used and are in Hope Ak ---- funny that town ring a bell ( or cash register ). Where is that story?????
Stuart --Boston (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:19:45 AM)
Chris Eldrige's idea is worthwhile,, unless your home,(already on stilts goes under 32 feet of water). Also the FEMA trailer issue is correct, I was lucky enough to get an older one. A friend of mine got a newer one, and when I walked inside,, I was almost overcome by the fumes. These things were rushed into manufacture, and as a result, haven't had time to "age". If they are going to keep making these things,,someone needs to find different manufacturing techniques.
David Blackmon Pass Christian, MS (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:20:45 AM)
Any attack on Sierra Club, the bashing of "these ungrateful Katrina victims" is a rather typical demagogical attempt to distract the reader from the main points of the article, which are:
1) Peoples' lives are in immediate danger. What makes your bird fall into coma can't be good for your own health, plain and simple.
2) FEMA used taxpayers', YOUR, money to distribute faulty trailers. I wouldn't be surprised if after a little digging it would turn out that a contract was granted to some buddies of FEMA officials to help them get rid of defective production at Katrina victims' expense.
I'd bet that 99.9% of the bloggers here who say "take it or leave it" are sitting in the comfort of their own homes, without the walls slowly suffocating them and without a bright perspective to develop cancer few years down the road.
Michael K, Toronto, Ontario (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:23:09 AM)
The Sierra Club is trying to call attention to a problem that FEMA refuses to discuss. Note that OSHA also performed testing and found very high formaldehyde levels where these trailers were being stored.
It's hard to propose a solution without knowing the full scope of the problem. The Sierra Club wants more information. Why is that such a bad thing?
K Morris, Washington DC (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:25:32 AM)
Mike,
Clearly, these trailers pose a health hazard. I personally think a cockatiel in a FEMA trailer is an excellent analogy to a canary in a coal mine, in as much as it is an indication that air quality is below normal, and even below acceptable. I experienced how miserable these "homes" were on a public health mission to the region a few months ago.
True, it seems like there were few options for housing in the wake of Katrina. If these trailers were indeed a "short-term evil," maybe we could look the other way, and do a better job with ventilation and whatnot.
However, the fact of life in this region is that rebuilding has proved to be a slow, arduous task, thanks to an utterly disgraceful lack of support from our government. Between the pitiful initial response to this disaster, and the horrendous financial mismanagement that has plagued the recovery (as reported by The Washington Post as well as the GAO), I can not be more embarrassed to call this government my own.
People will undoubtedly be living in these trailers and subjected to these toxins for months to come. This is no "short-term" exposure. Perhaps if our government took the initiative to construct a committee to oversee the financial management of this recovery, we could better channel our resources into the rebuilding, and get these people out of these "toxic tin cans" sooner.
In fact, such a committee was proposed by Congressman Henry Waxman and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi in a bill called "The Hurricane Katrina Accountability and Contracting Reform Act" (H.R. 3838). Unfortunately for the Gulf, Congress stuck this bill in committee where it has been sitting with no action taken since September, 2005.
Now, if you can live with poisoning our own fellow citizens with toxins from trailers paid for by our own tax dollars, more power to you.
Meanwhile, I'll be on the phone with Congress and the President demanding that they get their heads out of their you-know-whats and start providing some real help to these people.
Morgan, Carrboro, NC (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:29:38 AM)
I think this is just another shining example of how spoiled and complacent our society has become. These folks had a tragic loss, yes. I am not sure that many of us know how to cope with such things anymore. I do know that I and 21 other members of my my depratment were ready to go help keep law and order in the hurricane ravaged area. I know that while in the military I spent many days, nights and hollidays in far worse conditions. I have seen devastation in other countries, and they live far worse already. The one thing they know how to do is survive. They help themselves. Maybe we have forgotten how to do that. Maybe because we have so much, we have forgotten what our fathers and grandfathers taught us about when they had so little. Maybe we are to reliant on handouts and free lunches to remember that what made our country successful in the past was hard work and self-reliance. Too many people look for the easy way out. They look to sue industry and Govt. to get a check handed to them. Then as was said previously, they will rebuild in the same spot, and it will happen again someday. A vicious cycle no doubt. Vicious for the many who continue to take care of these problems for those who refuse to see the light and do for themselves. Now, this does not apply to all who have seen devastation. There are many that are out there working hard to rebuild and move on without looking for handouts and free rides. However, it those few who are never satisfied that overshadow and bring about negative light on them all.
Ken Howard, Clarksville, Tn (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:29:48 AM)
I have had personal experience with living in a trailer. We bought one back in 1979 and lived in Texas. Slowly but surely I started having headaches, sore throats, and sinus problems. My daughter was always having nosebleeds. Three years later I was diagnosed with Multiple Chemical Sensitives which left me allergic to smoke, perfume, fabric softener etc. We moved out of the mobile home in 1984. In 1989 I was diagnosed with Intra Ductal Carcinoma/breast cancer and I had no family history of any type of cancer.
I read this article and I feel so sorry for these people. What might show up now as minor problems could show up later as a life threatening illness.
Penni Pitre, Cave Creek, Arizona (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:31:50 AM)
How about moving some people into these closed Air Base Housing? Have the people w/o any income or jobs work to bring them up to code while being housed in their free houses, feed them in the chow halls already built. Just an idea to use what tax payers already own. In Texas they are selling Base Houses and moving them into neighborhoods and making nice starter homes.
Texas Bubba (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:34:33 AM)
This is one of the oldest stories in the book, the manufactured housing industry has been litigating it for years and has proven the science to be of junk quality. I think it's curious that you didn't check this out before running this piece, call one of the big manufacturors and they will fill you in.
rob, dallas, tx (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:35:16 AM)
There are alternative and better options out there. Working through the red tape that is FEMA has prevented manufacturers from providing their products to the displaced families.
Paul Davisson
Royal Concrete Concepts
Paul Davisson West Palm Beach Florida (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:39:36 AM)
The Sierra Club should shut up until they have a solution? Burying your head in the sand isn't going to make any issue go away. The idea that you can't bring up a problem until you have a solution is simply silly, the Sierra Club aren't medical experts but that can't discount what appears to be a link work exploring between health and these trailers.
Chris Morgan, Worcester, MA (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:41:10 AM)
My sympathies if this is legitimate but I smell a rat. If this is that big a problem, why are the only examples cited a single couple and one doctor's patients? I'm curious to know how many of these people are a part of the class action suit and am particularly suspicious of the "industrial hygenist" from Vancouver. Somebody's paying her and it would be a much more complete story if we knew who that was.
JM, Colorado (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:42:32 AM)
This issue of the formaldehyde is just one of the problems that causes all of us to ovelook the fundamantal issue. That being... what is the best amd most appropriate "temporary" or "emergency" shelter than can be provided to disaster victims.
In Indonesia people are lucky to get ground blankets when their homes are washed away. In Pakistan, those victims, if lucky, might get a cheap tent with no thermal protection from sub zero temperatures in the high mountain regions. Most have received no help at all to this day.
In Katrina, we handed out expensive(and yes, maybe toxic) mobile homes. These mobile homes are NOT temporary shelter by any means. The wide use of trailers and mobile homes have created new types of "slums" complete with the perfect conditions for violence, drug and alcohol problems, as well as utter discomfort.
We need to re-define what constitutes an effective and safe emergency shelter and find out what does temporary mean? Since, in most of the world's refugee camps and settlements, "temporary" has turned out to be in some cases 10 (ten) years!
Tents have beens used since Cro-Magnon man crawled from the cave. Tents rot, absorb moisture and decompose, are excellent hosts for germs, viruses and molds. It is time to look at this business and find the right solutions irregardless if the victims are Americans, Serbs, Indonesians, sub-Saharans or Pakistanis.
We can do better......
Providing mobile homes was a dumb and expensive idea. That was not a tempoary solution.
We need to find the right product(s) and solutions to solve this problem, provide the medical and psychological support to get these people back on their feet, and get them motivated and placed back into real housing.
Doesn't FEMA understand "temporary" and the science of "emergency relief"?
Stan Jasek, Muskegon Michigan (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:44:07 AM)
Great... just what us honest tax paying citizens need - another reason for Katrina "victims" to sap more money from us. Just wait until the class-action and indivudual lawsuits start! Our Gov't, specifically FEMA, should only have provided guidelines, funds, total disclaimer for anything provided to these persons. Many new construction materials contain formaldehyde - when was the testing done? Has retesting been performed? Please, spare us from future issues. Make everyone who lives in flood prone areas sign disclaimers freeing the Gov't from helping them when they know this could happen to them. They made choices to live there - now let them suffer. I live in New York where hundreds of homes were recently flooded and ripped from there foundations - I don't see claims of racism, no Gov't fraud, no fraud to welfare and support systems in the area, etc. President Bush just signed a bill clearing Billions of dollars for Hurricane Katrina funds. What about homeowners insurance and business insurance... isn't that a risk one takes by not getting either?! Stop whining Sierra Club... put on your boots and help rebuild with your own large cashbox.
Larry Litmore, Middletown, NY (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:45:15 AM)
It was the Sierra Club who sued the Army Corps of Enginners about ten years ago to stop them from raising and fortifying the Mississippi River levees. It was the Sierra Club who relentlessly opposed Bush and his administration's flood-control efforts with lawsuit after lawsuit. How do they have the nerve to even comment on the recovery from a disaster they fought to ensure?
Ron (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:48:43 AM)
I have a travel trailer and have lived in it for long
periods. I had no problems, yes I opened windows and
let fresh air in. These poor folks can always switch to the old Tarzan and Jane method of living. If it's to hot in the kitchen then, wait wait don't get out, turn on the VENT fan over the stove, WOW what an idea!
IT's the small knob on the hood over the stove....
Jack Kelly, Aromas, California (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:51:46 AM)
$50,000 would have nearly paid for a new home to be built. It may not have been a luxury mansion but it wouldn't have had wheels under it either. It has been a year now. Why are people still living in travel trailers? I think its because the brand new travel trailers they were given are probably nicer than what they were living in before the storm. This situation has nothing to do with the government. They didn't make any of those people live in an area that EVERYONE knows is below sea level. I felt terrible for the people who lost everything in the hurricane. TERRIBLE! But now...seriously, it has been a year. Quit living off the gov't and fix your own problems. If they don't like the FREE trailers that they are given, then move out of them. Nobody is making them stay.
Tired of UNGRATEFUL, GREEDY people (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:51:55 AM)
They should do something before those fumes put them in tombs!
Ned Flanders, Springfield, ?? (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:53:51 AM)
One would think people would be grateful that some government organizations stepped up to the plate and provided thousands of families with shelter and money(not to mention all the private donations). We as a nation watched as the storm washed away so much of so many lives. Many reached into their hearts and wallets to help, some opened their homes to complete strangers. So many from my area packed up at a moments notice to "go help in the relief effort". People did what they could. Now is the time to accept responsibility for yourselves. Yes, the heat is uncomfortable, been there done that. Can do that again, if needed. Open the windows, air the mobile home out, visit Wal-Mart, come back. The point is, We do what we have to do to survive!! We don't whine about it,(that takes too much energy better devoted to getting the job done.) Be grateful for the assistance you have gotten, it could have been worse. If you can do better on your own, DO IT!! Someone else may benefit from the mobile home you vacate.
Donna Harris, Waynesburg,Kentucky (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:55:25 AM)
I took a task force of 30 officers to Katrina and lived in a tent eating Mres and coping with the 100 degree heat and 100 percent humidity, mosquitos snakes gators looters etc. etc.We worked 18-20 hour days doing anything and everything to help.
My point is, I was there, (more than once) and therefore am entitled to voice my opinion. My opinion is that the FEMA trailers were supposed to be a TEMPORARY solution to a emergency, not permanent housing! People should be standing on their own two feet by now!!!
Darryl Askew Tuscumbia Alabama (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:55:45 AM)
In response to Jack Hand; I can tell you from personal experience that mobile homes are produced with the same formaldehyde-laced building products as FEMA trailers, and that the formaldehyde smell is still very strong on these homes that have gone through the "baking" process. They are sold to the public with this smell, and you sign a waiver that you know there is formaldehyde used in the construction and you release the manufacturer from liability from any problems that may arise from its use. It gradually goes away but not for months or years. And if the baking process only involves bringing the trailers up to 130 degrees, that can be done in a single afternoon in South Mississippi- just turn off the AC and open the windows. Go shopping or take in a movie for the afternoon. I recently re-insulated the attic of my home and the attic temp in the afternoon was over 140 degrees.
I don't have a vested interest in FEMA trailers either, Mr Gifford. My only interest is in seeing them gone from my community as soon as possible. My point is, having to live in a FEMA trailer is not an ideal situation but it is considerably better than any other alternative available to the people who must live in them. Many of my friends and family have to live in them. For the purpose for which they were originally intended, a SHORT-TERM solution to get people out of tents or their cars or their damaged homes, they have worked for the vast majority. I live here, sir, and KNOW and SAW firsthand what this community was going through before the FEMA trailers began to arrive and be set up for use. And they were a godsend when they first arrived to most people who received one who were finally able to take a hot shower, watch TV, or sleep in a bed, with air conditioning, for the first time since that was all taken away from them by the storm. No solution works perfectly well for 100% of the people 100% of the time, but 20 complaints out of 115,000 is pretty damn good. I'll bet that # is going to go up now, thanks to the Sierra Club's Little Boy Who Cried Wolf mentality. I can hear the lawyer commercials already!!- "...If you or your loved one was FORCED by the gov't to live in a FEMA trailer as a result of a hurricane, you may be eligible for a CASH SETTLEMENT AWARD!!! contact Dewey, Cheatham and Howe at once and see how much we can get for YOU!!!"
Mike Scheid, Long Beach, Mississippi (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:57:02 AM)
I love how so many of you, who aren't living in a FEMA trailer, are so quick to offer your opinions on how great these people have it. You keep talking about how ungrateful they are. If someone is starving and you give them rotten meat, are they supposed to thank you for it? According to most of you--yes--they should be grateful to get it. That's sad. If the tests done are true (and it is the duty of the government to do a test of their own rather than just write it off as nonsense), then it is our duty to help people get out of that environment. Frankly, what the heck are people still doing living in trailers over a year later, while tons of money has been mispent on ridiculous items (see the MSNBC article on that)? Our government has failed these people--and if any one of you actually had to live through it, then perhaps you'd speak differently. People worked their butts off their whole lives for homes that were gone in an instant, and many of them aren't getting reimbursement from their insurance companies. If you want to blame someone, blame the insurance, for doing everything they can to get out of paying for their customers' home repair.
Stephanie, Cincinnati, OH (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:57:15 AM)
You know the thing that is amazing to me is that most of the people with ALL the solutions to the problem DO NOT LIVE HERE and go thru Katrina and is not the ones trying to rebuild from NOTHING that is the key word here. NOTHING because of what ever reason, whether its the insurance that their agent told them they had and not knowing for example. I see people everyday trying their best to come out of the rubble and just hope that all the ones with the solutions never have to deal with it because I think it will be a true wakeup call. Oh and yes I was here the day Katrina visited.
V Bunch , Centreal Mississippi (Sent Jul 24, 2006 11:57:34 AM)
As someone born in Louisiana, I do have sympathy for the folks who lost all. However, since the complaints are approximate 20 in number, out of 115,000, that seems to indicate that the number of potentially dangerous units is slim. A test of 40 in the same polluted enviroment is hardly scientific.
It seems it would be a better solution to investigate the complaining units, rather than suddenly have an outside organization condem them all & vanish when the requests for help are made (that would be you, Sierra Club).
Ty Taxpayer Columbus, oh (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:01:11 PM)
If it was up to the Sierra Club we would set around in the dark and freeze to death. They dont want Nuc,coal,anything that would make life easy for us. So why would they not want us to set out side in the heat and rain in the south. Tell them to come set with us. At leat we have some shelter from the Fed's. I dont see sny shelter from Sierra Club.
John Stockmen, N.O. LA (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:01:35 PM)
Question for my fellow Illinoisan from LaSalle, who says he has camped in a camper for years and never heard of anyone getting sick in their camper, even after they've been there for weeks:
People in FEMA trailers usually live in them for MONTHS--if not at least a year--so they'd be in them for a much longer time. Maybe that makes a difference?
Also, I'm no expert on trailers, but wouldn't the government obtain FEMA trailers from the lowest bidder--so naturally, their quality wouldn't be that of a privately-purchased camper/trailer?
Olivia Elizabeth Burdon, Peoria, Ill. (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:02:38 PM)
We have been manufacturing RV's with this kind of materials for decades and now this is a issue? Like we use anything different than conventional home construction. Open a window...simple as that. Same as a new house...it needs ventilated until the fumes taper off in the heat. I am sure someone will get sued and the people that made off like bandits with the first go round of money that was issued out will prosper once again from trying to help out those in need.
Brian, Ligonier, Indiana (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:04:38 PM)
Sure why not blame the Republicans. I bet if Katrina would have happened when Bill Clinton was in office, he would have seduced your wife before he gave you a "free" camper. And why blame FEMA, they only PAID for the campers (with taxpayers money of course), the manufacturers are realy to blame. But why complain about a FREE CAMPER, I wish I had one.
Bruce, Shreveport LA (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:05:33 PM)
Way to go Sierra Club, way to attack the government for everything that is wrong in this country AGAIN. Instead of catering to the complaints of a few, why don't you work with local agencies and our government to find a long-term solution to get these people back on their own feet? How about we all stop suing each other and get on with our lives? Most Americans have no idea what it is like to really suffer and this is evidence of that.
Laura, Illinois (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:07:15 PM)
More of the same; an incompetent FEMA, an incompetent administration and racists defending them.
Tired of greedy, insensitive people ... (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:11:12 PM)
Can you say? "Personal responsibility". Sure you can!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You have to be responsible to and for yourself. And stop blameing the govt for all your problems and looking also to the govt. to cure all your problems too.
Logical Thinker Hendersonville NC (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:11:15 PM)
OF COURSE THE TOXIC TRAILERS ARE A REPUBLICAN CONSPIRACY. WE ALL KNOW THAT THERE ARE NO POOR REPUBLICANS. THE SIERRA CLUB SHOULD NOT START TROUBLE UNLESS THEY HAVE A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. OF COURSE IF THAT WERE THE CASE, THERE WOULD BE KNOW SIERRA CLUB OR RIDICULOUS LAW SUITS THAT ARE ALWAYS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SIERRA CLUB.
KEVIN (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:14:59 PM)
You people make me sick... The government didn't have to do anything for you, but they did... They didn't have to come rescue you and feed you, but they did... Even with all the complaining that took place... You live a long the coast line, what the heck did you think a hurricane was just a little of wind and rain... Hello, wake up... You chose to build there and live there... Thats the first stupid thing you did... I am so sick and tired of hereing about Hurricane Katrina victims... They have been given more things for free than anyone else from any other natural distaster known to man, but its not enough... GO FIGURE!!! They want more... Why don't you take the blame and say you no I did choose to live on the coast and you know I knew in the back of my mind that this could possibly happen... The government didn't make you live there it was a CHOICE... I hope I don't need to help you understand what a choice is either? Just so you know I grew up in Florida, and I've been through 3 hurricanes... Do I still live there, NO!!! Why? Because I CHOSE to get away... That was a choice that I made...
Brent A Lewis, Johnson City, TN (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:17:31 PM)
Amen, Ken Howard said it best!
Jackie, New York (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:20:12 PM)
$50,000.000 for a new trailer??? Why would you spend that kind of money on a trailer instead of starting to build your home? That makes absolutely no sense!! Sounds like they wanted FEMA and all of us generous Americans to pay to build them a new mansion right where the next hurricane can wipe that out also. The "victims" got government paid credit cards, trailers, and no telling what else. Do the "victims" want us to finish raising their kids and paying off all of their bills for the rest of their lives while we are at it. At what point do you take some initiative and responsibilty and quit complaining that you didn't get enough hand-outs and freebies. After 3 trailers weren't good enough and the appliances weren't up to par, I AM FRESH OUT OF SYMPATHY!!! GIVE ME A BREAK-be grateful and shut up. I'd like to know how much all of these whiners donated to their fellow Americans' in Florida or the Carolinas when hurricanes hit. Move, get a job, and pay your own way - the rest of us are tired of supporting you.
Leslie, Amarillo, Texas (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:20:29 PM)
Here's the alternativeto the trailers, cost less and is better.
Will we use them? hell no, makes too much sense
http://archrecord.construction.com/news/daily/archives/060316katrina.asp
Jeff, New Orleans, LA (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:20:46 PM)
With respect to the formaldehyde emmissions, it is coming from the panel imported from Asia. The glue used over there consists of a very high level of formaldehyde which off gasses under intense heat. Ventilating these trailers will not really help the situation, as the glue trapped between the veneers in the panels will continue to break down over a long period of time during high tempuratures. As an importer, I am very familiar with this issue. I can assume the RV's in question were built with High Formaldehyde MR Glue, which isn't meant to be used in this application. Simply taking out the domestically made particle board shelves and under bedding support won't work. The walls and floors are made of this imported plywood and there is not solution short of moving out. :(
Joe Import (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:30:38 PM)
Gee, who is surprised? I suggest the individuals who are in these cancer-causing campers grab their blankets and go outside and sleep on the ground. Of course, there are toxic insects out there that they'll have to watch out for....and grass. It's likely that many of these people will be allergic to the grass. Heck, the pollen will likely be the death of them. Forget about sleeping outside.
Joanna (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:30:50 PM)
Let me see, is this not the same materials used in new homes, mobile homes, campers, and travel trailers. That Smell is what is called the Smell of a new home. It will keep bugs out for about a year. The Sierra Club might be corrrect about this one but it needs to look at the rest of the picture.
Danny Dixon Havelock, NC (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:32:34 PM)
Come on people, this stuff is all around us in our houses, cars and most other manufactured products we buy. Just because someone says it's safe doesn't mean it is. The complexity of all our house hold polutants is killing us. As for Recreational vechicles they are meant for recreation not permenant housing, so of course there is an issue when people live in them 24/7 for a year +.
Tiffany, Houston, TX (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:36:00 PM)
I am amazed at the vitriol out there when categorizing victims of Katrina. Unbelievable, no wonder our government is screwed up.
Kudos to the Sierra Club. Goes to show at least someone cares about the Katrina victims. Although I am not a "minority" a lot of these comments, IMO, smack of frank racism
Anna Smity (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:38:48 PM)
I bought a travel trailer one year ago and immediately had that same reaction, burning eyes, trouble breathing. Ventillation does help, but why the hell do they have to use something toxic in the first place? Can't they use non-toxic glues. What are we ginny pigs? I camped for ten days with my 8 month old baby. Now I'm worried about his developing lungs. Shame on all the RV manufacturers who dont have the decency to think about their customers health. Anyone who defends this practice is just a plain fool. Some of the responses I'm reading here are ridiculous. We have the right to buy products that don't kill us. Don't defend these idiotic companies. Demand better products.
John Lewis, Three Rivers Michigan (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:39:39 PM)
The trailers were ok with me. I was thankful to be blessed with a place to live. The smell went away after while. It was certainly much better than living in the streets.
grateful (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:40:15 PM)
We have become a nation of wimps. Global warming and anything else eviromentalists can skew up to scare the public into a frenzy. It is all aimed at one thing-to get this nation to be free of any one who can think for themselves (repiblicans0
shannon knight (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:42:01 PM)
"So just what does the Sierra Club suggest would have been a more acceptable answer to the problem of the epidemic of homelessness that occurred in the wake of Katrina?? "
These would have been a better answer to the problem but FEMA is only allowed to supply "temporary" housing.
http://www.cusatocottages.com/index_content.html
Taylor; Jackson, Miss. (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:43:45 PM)
So how many do you think are going to jump on this bandwagon?? Gee, I'm starting to have watery eye, burning in the throat and respitory distress....can I get $1.2 million?
tired of blaming everyone else (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:45:45 PM)
Try an air filter system - a good one - It worked for me in my mobile home.
Gary Piette, Attleboro, MA (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:56:31 PM)
Come on people, anything in sufficient quantity will cause cancer! ! ! ! These were new trailers and they have sat in a storrage area, closed, baking in the sun for close to a year. Any and all preservatives, adhesives, paints, varnishes among other things has been cooking out of these trailers, collecting in the unventilated interiors. What do you expect? ? ? ? ?
Leonard Seitz, Bangs, TX (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:59:26 PM)
hmmm well,,,Im a workamper and have been for five years...
I live in a tin can..guess I better pack up ,burn the RV and head for cleaner air.
Pure nonsence.
Anything to alarm people and abuse the Govt.
Please get a grip on yourselves..
Hopefully this hurricane will not present the same problems as in the past year.
Archie Underwood (Sent Jul 24, 2006 12:59:28 PM)
I'm living in my travel trailer in Fort Worth, Texas. Past 11 days it's been over a 100 degrees. I can smell it, guess what, I open all my windows and step outside for awhile. It's a new trailer, it's going to have that smell for awhile. FEMA did their best to help these people and all they do is complain. Put them back in tents.
Jim Frizzell, Fort Worth, Texas (Sent Jul 24, 2006 1:06:12 PM)
These trailers are "emergency living units only". Look on the side of the unit and it will so state. These were manufactured with sole intentions of short term occupancy. People screamed when they didn't have them and now they are screaming again. They are not penthouses. They are a place for shelter. For some, more than what these people had before the storm? As for myself? I would have picked my family up and walked them right out of the certian danger that was to become. I would have walked them to a town called Elkhart Indiana. Why? Because that is where myself and an entire team hammered the ice off of 80 steel deck railcars, battled the very frigid temps, seven days a week, to crane, and chain down 160 of these "emergency living units only". I felt i was doing it for humanity? Ihope that at least one family appreciates what was done in good faith!
T Elkhart, IN (Sent Jul 24, 2006 1:07:42 PM)
...might be a meth lab in the vacinity...no joke...
r.d. (Sent Jul 24, 2006 1:07:44 PM)
I sell mobile homes and the materials used in subdivision homes and the materials used in mobile homes are the same. Developers and realtors lobbied for the formaldehyde warning required in new mobile homes. The threat is the same but builders are not required to tell you about it. Ventilation takes care of the problem.
Doyle Meachum, Nashville, Tn. (Sent Jul 24, 2006 1:07:48 PM)
The entire situation "stinks". Can't these people get a break!!?
We rarely hear about how toxic the soil in the affected area is.
I think the entire area should be re-evaluated and soon. Seems to me FEMA is working hard to hurt us instead of help us. So if your area is affected by any catastrophy worry more about FEMA than the actual catastrophy!!
Patti A (Sent Jul 24, 2006 1:10:52 PM)
Wow, I am stunned by the lack of compassion for the people in this situation as reflected by so many of these comments. Just saddened and amazed. If this had actually happened to you, I'm betting you would all be crying louder than any Katrina victim. And saying that no criticism should be brought forth before there is a solution is completely lame. Sure, let's all keep our head in the sand until somebody wakes us up and tells us what to do. Have a heart, people!
Barb, Pittsburgh, PA (Sent Jul 24, 2006 1:10:57 PM)
Hell Yes! Let’s give good old Uncle Sam another shot in the ribs!! Shame on him for being the only Government entity on the face of the planet that would actually do something of this magnitude for his suffering people. God forbid he be caught off guard in these trying and peril times we live in, then give an under-par response to something of astronomical proportions. By the way, I offer my deepest apologies to any group offended by my reference to God in any form or fashion. You remember him, don’t you? He is the guy we used to put our trust in. I guess if he is affiliated with Uncle Sam, he can’t be trusted as much to do the right thing. Let’s just not refer to him during this comment, because he isn’t worth talking about anymore.
Uncle Sam sure has some nerve thinking he could tear away bricks, built on his own foundation of dreams, and just give them away so his people could have somewhere to start again.
I tell you who we should blame, it’s that G*d fella mentioned before, for coming up with the whole “brotherly love” idea. He’s the one who helped Sam learn how to think about others before himself, thus becoming the greatest nation in the world. This guy even wrote a book on how to love. I have an idea. Why don’t we just ban his book, I hear it’s based on falsified information.
Sam should strive to be more like the places he has some of our loved-ones fighting in. The governments of those places care far less for their people than does he, and would do virtually nothing in response. He should not spread his search for selfless, good natured and caring ways to those places. He would benefit from human unity in the long-run, and we just can’t have that.
We should really be more ungrateful to Sam, and far less often, for even attempting to lend a hand. While we’re at it, that G*d person doesn’t deserve praise either.
Aaron, Texas (Sent Jul 24, 2006 1:19:26 PM)
I would suspect that it is not HCHO that is the problem but cigarette smoke. A lot of smokers do not go outside to smoke but rather expose their families to second hand smoke.
Esteban Elizondo (Sent Jul 24, 2006 1:21:07 PM)
FEMA should scrap all the campers and send all of the families brand new 6 man tents, gift certificates to their local KOA campground, ice chests, and coleman stoves. Oh - and of course lobby a ban on smoking to help reduce the risk of cancer. Everywhere we turn, we hear about some expert stating that X product causes cancer. FEMA might as well ban Cell phones just in case. I'm sure the Sierra club would be content.