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FEMA STATEMENT
ON FORMALDEHYDE
Release Date: July 9,
2008
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The following
statement, released by FEMA, outlines
the background to the production of the
FEMA travel trailers, the problems and
the "strict new procurement
specifications":
FEMA acquired
travel trailer, mobile homes and park
models from a variety of retail and
commercial sources in good faith and
fully expected all units to comply with
all relevant industry standards, best
practices and regulations. FEMA neither
knowingly, nor willingly, purchased
manufactured units from dealerships and
manufacturers that contained levels of
formaldehyde above existing construction
standards, nor did FEMA's specifications
encourage non-compliance with such
standards. We have been fully
transparent in our actions on this
issue.
On July 21, 2007,
FEMA set up call centers for applicants
living on group, commercial and private
sites who have concerns, questions or
request information about formaldehyde.
In July, FEMA distributed 70,000
formaldehyde and housing fact sheets to
the occupants of every FEMA temporary
housing unit across the Gulf Coast. FEMA
ceased the sale and deployment of travel
trailers for use in housing operations.
On August 22, 2007, FEMA authorized
hotel/motel assistance for occupants of
FEMA provided travel trailers and mobile
homes who ask to be moved because of
health concerns associated with their
units.
Everyone who has
called FEMA's formaldehyde call centers
with concerns has been offered an
immediate move to a hotel or motel until
alternate housing is located.
Following the
CDC's findings, FEMA and the Department
of Homeland Security's Office of Health
Affairs developed procedures to ensure
the consistent and reliable testing of
temporary housing units in FEMA's
existing inventory. The same protocol is
used for all air quality testing, no
matter where it takes place, whether at
storage sites, staging areas, forward
staging areas or on private property.
Additionally, FEMA has contracted with a
center within CDC to study mitigation
strategies on our behalf.
Since 2007, FEMA
has been working with the Recreational
Park Trailer Industry Association
(RPTIA), the Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD) and the
Department of Homeland Security's Office
of Health Affairs (DHS/OHA) to develop a
new set of procurement specifications
for manufactured housing. This year,
FEMA announced that all future temporary
housing units purchased by FEMA must
meet strict new procurement
specifications for indoor air quality,
including a requirement that
formaldehyde emission levels must be
significantly reduced inside the units.
Each unit must test below .016 parts per
million (ppm).
FEMA coordinates
the federal government's role in
preparing for, preventing, mitigating
the effects of, responding to, and
recovering from all domestic disasters,
whether natural or man-made, including
acts of terror.
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