FEMA has been creating and improving upon disaster housing solutions in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the highly criticized trailers that caused people to fall ill. The new and improved trailers feature an adhesive with less formaldehyde in them. They also come in several varieties of beige colors. The travel-trailers are also clean and do not have shutters.
FEMA housed one million displaced, homeless citizens after Hurricane Katrina caused unlivable conditions in homes only to find the emergency housing caused breathing problems, frequent headaches, nosebleeds, and other illnesses. The culprit was the formaldehyde used in what was thought to be a more cost-effective glue product in the manufacturing of the mobile homes and trailers.
The trailers will be undergoing tests for 6 to 12 months by students at the National Emergency Training Center. One of the insulation products being tested includes sheep’s wool, which is thought to absorb formaldehyde. Testers will see if the levels of formaldehyde increase with time if one cooks or smokes in the trailers. Air quality standards are in place for mobile homes in the United States, but not for travel-trailers.
