Subject: RELEASE: Clinton Introduces Legislation to Prevent Use of Toxic Trailers for Disaster Victims
From: "Clinton, Press Office (Clinton)" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:44:57 -0500

For Immediate Release

February 25, 2008

Contact: Press Office

202-224-2243 or [email-masked]

 

Clinton INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO PREVENT USE OF TOXIC TRAILERS FOR
DISASTER VICTIMS

Legislation Requires FEMA to Meet Standards of Department of Housing and
Urban Development

Washington, DC -- Today, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton introduced
legislation to ensure that all trailers and mobile homes purchased by
the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) meet the safety standards
for properties maintained by the Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD). Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) confirm that Hurricane Katrina and Rita victims living
in FEMA trailers are being exposed to dangerous levels of formaldehyde -
on average, five times higher than the levels of formaldehyde in the
average home, due in part to the fact that travel trailers are not
required to meet HUD standards.

"For more than a year, the Bush Administration knew about these high
levels of formaldehyde and failed to act.  Victims of disasters should
not have their health and safety further jeopardized by toxic hazards in
their shelters," Senator Clinton said. "All trailers used in future
disasters must be free of hazardous environmental contaminants.
Trailers should never have been used as a substitute for a plan for
rebuilding, which is precisely what this Administration did in the wake
of Katrina.  But if trailers need to be used as temporary shelter in the
future, we must ensure that they are as safe as possible."

The Department of Housing and Urban Development requires that all
properties used in its programs "be free of hazardous materials,
contamination, toxic chemicals and gasses, and radioactive substances,
where a hazard could affect the health and safety of occupants." The
legislation introduced by Senator Clinton today would ensure that all
future trailers purchased by FEMA meet that standard, and affirms the
responsibility of FEMA to provide safe and secure housing to victims of
major disasters.

Senator Clinton has been a vocal advocate for the victims of Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita.  Senator Clinton's legislation follows a letter to
President Bush, calling on him to stop delaying and to help move
impacted individuals out of trailers and into other safe housing (see
-http://www.clinton.senate.gov/news/statements/details.cfm?id=292965&&).

 

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