FEMA Trailers Had Too Much Particle Board, Too Little Ventilation
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 7.08
Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that Katrina trailers emitted four to eleven times as much formaldehyde as one might get in conventional housing. There are rules restricting the amount of formaldehyde that can be emitted in mobile homes, but not in wheeled trailers. According to the Washington Post:
Berkeley researchers said they found "exceptionally large emissions of formaldehyde" in units tested and traced the chemical's presence to extensive use of cheap, light plywood and particleboard for walls, flooring and cabinet surfaces. At the same time, trailers "are not outfitted for adequate ventilation and are tighter than would be desired for housing with such small volume," they said.
The combination of weak regulation and manufacturers intent on selling the cheapest possible product led to 11,000 health complaints.
There is a lesson here for everyone though. All new housing is built to be more air-tight than it used to be, but kitchens and furniture are still built with particle boards and plywoods that emit formaldehyde. While the outgassing reduces over time, why not check to see if that new flatpack desk or kitchen is formaldehyde free. Or maybe we should just ban the stuff. ::Washington Post
The FEMA Formaldehyde Fiasco:
FEMA Trailers Optimizing Formaldehyde Exposure
FEMA Formaldehyde Fiasco Festers
FEMA Trailer Formaldehyde Liability Suit On The Way :
How CDC bungled FEMA Formaldehyde
FEMA Ignored or Buried Formaldehyde Research
Big Steps In Building: Ban Formaldehyde
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- Reaction Housing Stacks Up Against Trailers
- Is Old Particle Board Safe in Your Home?
- Give Air-Purifying House Plants, a Great Last Minute Gift
- How Homeowners Insurance Works
I sure hope those government scientists get gold stars on their calendars for this piece of "Duh" work.
This looks like an exapmle of libertairan government policy. Or, federal negligence.
I thought the trailers were supposed to be a holdover measure until the government or insurance companies got real housing together?
Would the stuff offgass fast enough to harm most people in less than a year, because that was supposed to be the maximum amount of time. I know some of the people lived in government housing to begin with but others should have moved on and out long ago.
This is another Bush era boondoggle.
The trailers were designed as temporary shelter, with a "camping" lifestyle. This generally involves open doors and windows.
The use Fema placed them into was semi-permanent housing, with an expectation of closed doors and windows. There was no modification for ventilation, and no alteration of the materials used.
This is simply unacceptable and grossly incompetent.
It demonstrates an uncaring attitude of the federal government to the poor.