CDC, FEMA let us down

By The Daily Progress

Published: October 16, 2008

Yet another example of federal deception has emerged from a congressional report involving FEMA and — even more shockingly — the Centers for Disease Control.

The reputation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency was already spoiled. But we expected better of the CDC, the federal agency charged with promoting health and improving safety.
According to a House of Represent-atives subcommittee report, FEMA and the CDC were alerted to the potential dangers of formaldehyde in trailers at least a year before they decided to take action.

No, wait. Let us rephrase that.
The CDC did take action. It demoted the scientist who dared to question the agencies’ official stance about the safety of emergency trailers.

The trailers, as you recall, had been dispatched to areas hit by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. FEMA began to receive complaints — thousands of them — about fumes in the trailers.
The CDC said that the trailers were safe if residents opened a window or vent to release the fumes. A CDC scientist disputed that assessment. For his honesty, he was demoted.
However, a year later the CDC and FEMA reversed their position, admitting that formaldehyde levels in trailers were five times higher than in conventional housing.

Formaldehyde can cause cancer, chronic bronchitis and other problems.

This event is yet another in a shocking history of federal deceit, in which those who tried to speak an unpopular truth were silenced or punished.
The victims include in this case not only the demoted scientist, and not only the hurricane victims who were put at further risk. We are all victims when our leaders deny the truth to protect themselves.