Why This Does Not Surprise Me
by Sheila Totten
I have just read an article by Associated Press writer Eileen Sullivan in which she states that FEMA has done what many of us suspected - manipulated scientific research in order to hide the dangers inherent in the Trailers they bought for Katrina and Rita victims. These are the very same trailers they have attempted to foist on to the unsuspecting public after other disasters as the California wildfires-many to be set up on affected reservations. Again,these are the same trailers they offered to send to Pine Ridge for a cost.And finally these are the very same trailers that sit in Hope ,Arkansas for sale or to be auctioned off to the public.
Years ago the problems with formaldehyde in mobile homes was discovered and guidelines were set to avoid health problems. Rumor has it that the FEMA trailers,both mobile homes and travel or camping style trailers were assembled here but their parts came from overseas which is why the formaldehyde levels in them are high. Again this is another thing FEMA disguised -the high levels.
And now in MS the FEMA trailers are not all in use by hurricane victims as I know of ones that are being rented out to people who recently moved down to the affected areas. Cheap rental units!
This entire trailer fiasco is now being compounded with FEMA's happenstance way of testing ; or rather their devious testing of formaldehyde levels.It is well known that with proper ventilation the levels of formaldehyde would show up to a lesser degree.What is proper ventilation? FEMA choreographed their tests by first airing out unoccupied trailers for days so to them that is proper ventilation! The levels would be lower this way and so their tests would be manipulated to make them look innocent.They then compared these to federal standards for only short term exposure.
According to Ms Sullivan Rep Brad Miller (Dem-NC) he, along with other lawmakers are questioning the truth in the research done for FEMA by the Agency for toxic Substances and Disease Registry. FEMA blames the registry for not addressing long term health problems which can develop as cancer. Rep. Miller who heads the investigation claims that the health agency 's own expert Christopher De Rosa "s research was ignored.In a quote from Ms Sullivan's column:"Any level of exposure to formaldehyde may pose a cancer
risk, regardless of duration," De Rosa wrote.
Having been a medical technologist I agree wholeheartedly with Rep.Miller's statement that scientific studies do not begin with a conclusion and then work backwards from that point.You start with a hypothesis and run tests to reach a conclusion. People are getting sick. Cancer is not the only concern.Respiratory ailments and allergic reactions are more health issues. Before the government set federal guidelines I remember friends who bought a new mobile home and within a few months their children began to have asthma attacks. They themselves began to have migraines.That home was stripped of the building materials that tested positive for formaldehyde and the manufacturer put them up in a hotel while their new home was being redone! We have been aware of the problems for years now.I am ashamed of FEMA for buying trailers that are dangerous.Worse-FEMA is part of the Homeland Security Department.Now what does this say to all of us about Homeland Security?It sure has me questioning it!
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