Project Katrina

U.S. Senators Mary Landrieu, Claire McCaskill and Barack Obama lauded Congress’ passage of their proposal to launch an investigation into reports that housing trailers contaminated with formaldehyde were provided to Hurricane Katrina victims.

This provision, which is contained in the Omnibus Appropriations package soon to be signed into law, will initiate a long overdue investigation into why the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) failed to prevent the contamination or investigate the allegations.

This exact provision was originally offered in July 2007 as an amendment to the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill.

It is disconcerting that FEMA moved victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita into trailers with unacceptable amounts of formaldehyde, said Senator Landrieu. It is yet another example of the agency’s ineptitude. It is essential that we move forward with testing the trailers to determine how many are affected and what is necessary to move trailer residents into safe alternative housing. The language we secured in the omnibus spending bill takes this vital step to ensure that those affected by the hurricanes are being housed in a safe environment.

We pay taxes so that federal government protects us during national emergencies, not to put us further in danger, McCaskill said. Not only did FEMA fail Gulf Coast residents before Katrina hit, they knowingly continued to put their lives at risk nearly two years after the fact by allowing residents to live in trailers containing toxic fumes. I’m pleased that legislation will be signed into law that will help get to the bottom of this life-threatening decision so that we can prevent it from happening again.

The Bush Administration’s response after Hurricane Katrina was a catastrophic failure, said Senator Obama. Instead of deploying the resources required to save lives and rebuild communities, the Administration consistently cut corners and buried the truth. Lives were put at risk, and countless Americans were left homeless and without the help they needed to rebuild. We must get to the bottom of reports that this Administration may have knowingly provided contaminated trailers to those who lost their homes after this disaster. At the very least, we owe the victims of Katrina answers, and we will continue to fight to finally get them the help they have long deserved.

This provision requires the U.S. Inspector General to:

• Investigate FEMA’s policies and processes regarding formaldehyde in trailers purchased by the agency to house Katrina victims;
• Collect and respond to health and safety concerns of trailer occupants; and determine whether FEMA adequately notified occupants of potential health and safety concerns and whether FEMA has proper controls and processes in place to deal with health and safety concerns of those living in trailers following disasters; and
• Report to Congress on its findings.

This is a vital development. In 2005 FEMA supplied more than 120,000 trailers to Gulf Coast residents. Thousands and thousands are still living in them with formaldehyde levels that are dangerous to their health. But to this point we don’t know how dangerous. Maybe we will in the near future.