Your Federal Emergency Management Agency, Ladies And Gents

I don't know how many years it's been known that the trailers that thousands of Gulf Coast residents are STILL living in are toxic. But the CDC confirmed it this week, and basically told people that have been living in them for two and a half years to "Get out before it's too late!" And, presumably, leave your lungs there or turn them in at Pep Boys.

More than two years after residents of FEMA trailers deployed along the Mississippi Gulf Coast began complaining of breathing difficulties, nosebleeds and persistent headaches, U.S. health officials announced Thursday that long-awaited government tests found potentially hazardous levels of toxic formaldehyde gas in both travel trailers and mobile homes provided by the agency.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which requested the testing by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said it would work aggressively to relocate all residents of the temporary housing as soon as possible.

Levels of formaldehyde gas in 519 trailer and mobile homes tested in Louisiana and Mississippi were — on average — about five times what people are exposed to in most modern homes, the CDC reported. In some trailers, the levels were nearly 40 times customary exposure levels, raising fears that residents could suffer respiratory problems and potentially other long-term health effects, it said.

Good, problem solved, finally! Whew, good thing that whole poisoning needy families thing is over!

So the next time temporary housing is needed for people who've lost their homes, they would be sure to test for levels of formaldehyde, right? Right!?!?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will provide mobile homes to victims of last week's tornadoes in Arkansas and Tennessee, despite a health warning about high formaldehyde levels in trailers used by the victims of the 2005 hurricanes.

A FEMA spokesman said the agency would begin the process to vet the mobile homes parked at the airport in Hope, Ark., before releasing them to the Arkansas and Tennessee victims of last week's storms. Spokesman James McIntyre said FEMA will have processes in place to ensure safety.

How reassuring.

Congratulations, FEMA, you've just given this country less credibility on public health than China. By the way, the Chinese factory at that link that produced the active ingredient in the drug that sickened hundreds of people... was never inspected by the FDA.

The FDA and FEMA ought to have a contest over how many people they can sicken.