Here we are, over three years after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, and residents in that area are still dealing with the after effects in more ways than one. We all know the story of how FEMA royally screwed up in the aftermath of the hurricane, failing to do its job in protecting and aiding the citizens of this country during a disaster. But the government agency also failed when they failed to act after it was discovered that the travel trailers given to affected residents to live in after their homes were destroyed were packed with formaldehyde.
Earlier this month a House committee found that the CDC and FEMA failed to protect the public’s health, and a federal judge also determined that the agency is not immune from lawsuits from Gulf Coast residents who had to breathe in the toxic fumes.
From Treehugger:
“The agency’s incomplete and inadequate handling of their public health assessment, the failure to quickly and effectively correct their scientific mistakes and their reluctance to take appropriate corrective actions was all marked by notable inattention and inaction on the part of ATSDR’s ( Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry ) senior leadership. As a result, tens of thousands of Hurricane Katrina and Rita families living in trailers with elevated levels of formaldehyde were kept in harm’s way for at least one year longer than necessary.”
“U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt cited evidence that the Federal Emergency Management Agency delayed investigating complaints about formaldehyde levels in its trailers because it might be held legally responsible. The preservative can cause breathing problems and is classified as a carcinogen.”
Last Friday’s ruling showed just how dirty the politics got behind the scenes at FEMA and the CDC – dirty enough to play with the health of thousands of Americans.
The trailers weren’t even tested for safety until 2006, when the Sierra Club stepped in after residents started complaining about health issues. Treehugger reports that the CDC and FEMA didn’t react with urgency when they found out about the formaldehyde levels in the trailers, in what amounts to a cover-up.
What about the makers of the trailers, who put these products out onto the market with such dangerous levels of formaldehyde? Someone should definitely go to jail for this.
Link [Treehugger]
Photo credit: Flickr user szlea
