FEMA Exposes Hurricane Katrina Victims To Contamination

Posted by David Mittleman

Nearly three years ago hurricane Katrina destroyed almost every thing it touched in the Gulf region. No one can forget the scenes of people stranded in the street of New Orleans begging for help. Although there was significant damage, many people survived Katrina. Unfortunately for the survivors their homes were destroyed and they had no place to call home.

Due to the large number of displaced people, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ordered nearly $3 billion dollars worth of mobile homes and trailers in the days following hurricane Katrina. The request to manufacturers was only 25 lines long, with no safety requirements or other specifications stated in the request. Shortly after Katrina survivors began living in the trailers and mobile homes, they began experiencing breathing difficulty, eye irritation and, in some cases, death.

The cause of these health problems was an exposure to high levels of Formaldehyde, a known by product from manufacturing many materials found in the mobile homes and trailers. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), exposure to Formaldehyde can cause cancer, eye irritation, and other problems.