Faced with massive homelessness in the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina, FEMA arranged for an estimated 38,000 trailers to be made available. For over 2 years over 100,000 people have been housed by the government supplied trailers. For nearly as long there have been complaints by the residents of a litany of health problems. Nose bleeds, nausea, burning sensations in the eyes, nose and throat, skin rashes, coughing, asthma and rashes were reported with alarming regularity.

After debating for years whether this warranted testing, the CDC has finally completed it’s study of the trailers. From the Washington Post :

The findings cap nearly two years of internal government deliberation over the housing of hurricane Katrina and Rita survivors in the trailers, and come 23 months after FEMA first received reports of health problems and test results showing formaldehyde levels at 75 times the U.S.-recommended workplace safety threshold.

The test results revealed trailers with formaldehyde levels as high as 500 ppb. These formaldehyde levels were measured 18-23 months after delivery, meaning initial levels were surely significantly higher.

By 70 ppb a noticeable oder is present. By 300 ppb the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) threshold limit is reached. The OSHA Action Level is 500 ppb, at which point the employee is placed in a mandatory medical surveillance program.

These limits are based on a 15 minute exposure.

The cumulative effects of formaldehyde exposure haven’t been studied, leaving FEMA and the CDC to proclaim that they are "unsure" what the health consequences could be. From The Pacific Free Press :

The Huckabee family reports that they have dealt with ongoing physical ailments while living in their mobile homes. Her husband had to have a rare cancerous growth removed from the soft palate of his mouth just days before his wife Lindsay testified to the Oversight Committee Hearing.

The Huckabee’s state that the mounting medical bills have made any movement forward toward relocating or rebuilding impossible.

“Our daughter who is 6 years old is having a painful laparoscopic nasal surgery done this upcoming week. The doctors need to widen the sinus passages and she is also having permanent ear drainage tubes placed in her ears because the temporary ones cannot handle all the discharge that is draining in her sinuses. The doctor stated that if we were leaving this mobile home anytime soon, we would not need to have the surgery done at all,” explained Huckabee.

After allowing the victims of hurricane Katrina to live in the trailers for 2 years, FEMA is now in the process of relocating 100,000 people.

FEMA spokesman James McIntyre yesterday declined to discuss the CDC’s report, but noted that FEMA is already moving 800 families a week out of trailers.

Which means it will be an additional year before everyone is relocated to safe housing.

What’s happening to the toxic trailers? The Bush Administration has finally gone green and is embracing recycling.

From News 13 :

Hundreds of unused FEMA trailers still waiting for Hurricane Katrina victims will go to Native Americans throughout the country.

Last year South Dakota Sen. Tim Johnson pushed through legislation that allowed FEMA to sell or donate the trailers.

These are the same trailers that FEMA workers have been banned from entering. From NPR :

FEMA tells workers to stay out of thousands of its stored travel trailers, amid concerns about exposure to hazardous fumes.

Somehow, "Worst President Ever" just seems inadequate at this point.

Related: NativeVillage.org