FEMA News Release: FEMA Plan Of Action On Formaldehyde Findings To Be Implemented Immediately |
Concerned residents should contact FEMA directly for help at 1-866-562-2381.
February 14, 2008
News Release from FEMA:
WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) announced today its intent to expedite the
agency’s plan to provide for the safety and well being of residents
living in FEMA provided temporary housing units. The re-doubling of
efforts come amid preliminary findings from formaldehyde testing of
temporary housing units in the Gulf Coast conducted for the agency by
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“As a result of preliminary findings FEMA will be taking additional
actions to provide for the safety and well being of the residents of
these travel trailers by finding them alternative housing,” said FEMA
Administrator David Paulison said. “FEMA is leaning forward and will
continue to act and to provide information to our residents in an
expedited manner.”
FEMA is taking steps to expedite the relocation of residents from
temporary housing units to apartments or other alternative housing such
as hotels, motels, and “Katrina cottages.”
As part of the relocation system currently in place, and its expansion,
FEMA will carry out the following actions where necessary:
- Enter in to direct contracts with hotels in order to obtain the needed hotel/motel capacity.
- Utilize contract resources to support local relocation.
- Provide food vouchers and stipends.
- Enter into direct lease agreements with landlords.
- Contract for temporary storage and/or shipping of household property.
- Contract for the boarding and care of household pets for families relocated to hotels or apartments that don’t allow pets.
- Provide furniture for rental units by working with Voluntary
Agencies where possible, and will purchase the furniture when necessary.
- Contract for moving teams and equipment to assist in the movement of households with special medical needs.
- Provide additional staff to our offices on the ground to facilitate and manage the expedited relocation of households.
The priority in relocation will be those occupants expressing a health
concern and those most susceptible to health risk such as the elderly,
households with young children and those with respiratory challenges.
FEMA previously announced a plan to close all group sites and relocate
residents by June 1 of this year and will continue this activity as
part of our ongoing efforts.
In providing proper health information to residents, FEMA will
coordinate with CDC to provide occupants with additional public health
information. Specifically, CDC and FEMA teams will also visit “each”
of the 519 CDC tested units to provide occupants with the specific
results for their home and advise them on a course of action.
In addition, FEMA will provide caseworker assistance to occupants to
ensure best access to information and programs that can lead to self
sufficiency and a sustainable future.
The indoor air quality assessment is one of several actions CDC has
initiated to assist FEMA in protecting the health of temporary housing
residents. The other public health activities include:
- Reconvening a panel of experts to identify and advise on health
issues that could be associated with long-term residence in temporary
housing units, such as travel trailers.
- Assessing formaldehyde levels across different models and types
of unoccupied trailers to identify the factors that reduce or heighten
those levels. This assessment also involves identifying cost-effective
ways to reduce or lower formaldehyde levels and concentrations in
temporary housing environments. This series of tests includes
conducting an emissions study of building materials in conjunction with
the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
- Conducting a study that looks at the health of children currently
living in trailers along with a long-term study of children born while
their families resided in FEMA trailers and mobile homes in Mississippi
and Louisiana.
- Providing educational materials and information to trailer
residents about the CDC studies as well as steps that can be taken to
improve indoor air quality.
The two agencies have established toll-free hotlines to respond to public inquiries. FEMA
employees are available to discuss housing concerns at 1-866-562-2381,
or TTY 1-800-462-7585. CDC specialists will respond to health-related
concerns at 1-800-CDC-INFO.
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