Iowans Now Moving More Quickly Into FEMA Manufactured Housing
Release Date: August 2, 2008
Release Number: 1763-132
» More Information on Iowa Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced mold inspection and occupancy standards. As these standards were applied today, Iowans who had been displaced from their homes began moving into manufactured housing units supplied by FEMA.
Iowa requested that FEMA provide temporary housing for persons displaced by the severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that began May 25 and continue. The process was suspended July 18, after mold was found in the exterior water heater compartments of some of the mobile homes FEMA provided.
The new procedure defines how manufactured housing is to be inspected for mold and the criteria for safely allowing people to occupy those inspected units.
Thirteen families were offered mobile homes in Linn County Saturday. Some had been living in a hotel since they vacated mobile homes that FEMA originally provided.
Under the newly-developed procedure, FEMA officials in Iowa expect to be able to continue moving households into safe manufactured housing units as quickly as possible.
Blanket Purchase Agreements for inspections were awarded by FEMA to Bureau Veritas and to Soil and Environmental Testing Services (SETS). An order was issued to SETS last week. Under the CDC-approved process, if there is no visible mold and the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems are functioning properly, the unit can be certified for occupancy. All of the units provided to Iowans Saturday passed the inspection.
If any units are found to have minor surface mold in the inspection, they can be cleaned by commercial mold remediation contractors following accepted industry standards and re-inspected. They also would have to have properly functioning heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems to then be certified for occupancy. Units that cannot be certified for occupancy will be removed from Iowa.
The mobile homes now being provided for temporary housing are of a different design than those originally found to have mold. The original units had exterior water heater compartments that were susceptible to trapping moisture from precipitation. All FEMA units with water heaters in exterior compartments have been rejected by Iowa and are being removed from the state.
The replacement units have water heaters inside, and are not susceptible to precipitation problems. Their heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems are able to prevent the concentration of moisture conducive to mold growth. Mold spores are ubiquitous in the atmosphere, but only proliferate under certain conditions, including the presence of moisture.
FEMA recognizes and appreciates the broad diversity of its disaster assistance applicants in terms of age and physical health, and as such will take all necessary and appropriate action to ensure that residents of FEMA-provided manufactured housing are fully informed of the potential for the presence of mold and the steps that are being taken to both examine and remediate mold.
Occupants of FEMA-provided manufactured housing with concerns about mold may contact FEMA at 1-866-274-4392 between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information on mold, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web sited at www.cdc.gov.
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.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 06-Aug-2008 10:14:30