Testing Of Trailers And Mobile Homes For Formaldehyde Begins In Mississippi And Louisiana

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Who is conducting the testing?
    FEMA and CDC are working together to conduct tests of formaldehyde levels in trailers and mobile homes.  CDC experts will conduct tests and take measurements and FEMA staff will accompany the testing team to explain the activities to residents and to discuss with them their housing alternatives.

  2. What are you testing?
    CDC is testing formaldehyde levels in occupied trailers and mobile homes.

  3. Where are you testing?
    Tests will initially be conducted in a scientifically chosen random sample of up to 500 units: with a representative number of units tested in Mississippi and Louisiana.

  4. Who is conducting the testing?
    CDC has awarded the contract for the formaldehyde testing of 500 FEMA-supplied temporary housing units to Bureau Veritas North America, Inc. (Bureau Veritas). Bureau Veritas is a highly qualified contracting firm with the technical expertise, nationwide resources, and past project experience to effectively perform the technical work required in this investigation. Bureau Veritas has been providing health and safety services to clients throughout the U.S. since 1954 through their well qualified staff of certified professionals located throughout 21 nationwide offices.

  5. Why are you only testing up to 500 units?
    Statisticians at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have determined that 500 samples provides a statistically valid representation of the temporary housing population on the Gulf Coast and allows the quickest assessment from which public health experts could characterize formaldehyde levels and make public health recommendations.

  6. If a resident not selected for testing as part of the study asks for their unit to be tested, will you test their unit?
    For now, only 500 trailers and mobile homes are being tested.   Once the testing of the scientific sample is completed, additional testing will be considered.

  7. When are you testing?
    Initial testing begins on December 21 and will take approximately 35 days to complete.  Additional testing may be conducted at a later date.  No decision about additional testing has yet been made.

  8. Why are you testing?
    FEMA's first priority has been and continues to be the health and safety of our occupants.  CDC shares that concern.  The objective of these tests is to address the concerns of trailer and mobile home residents by testing the units, analyzing the results for patterns and other factors that could impact all residents, and by providing both general and specific information and recommendations so that all occupants can make informed decisions about their housing choices.  The testing will help gauge relative risk and give authorities a better idea of housing placement priorities.

  9. What are the accepted guidelines for formaldehyde levels in air?
    There are no government guidelines for formaldehyde levels in residential settings for indoor air quality, especially for long-term living conditions.

  10. Will occupants be notified about the results from their unit?
    Yes.  All occupants will be informed of the general and specific information learned from the tests and provided with recommendations based on the results.  In addition, those residents whose units are tested in the initial round of the study will be notified by mail of the levels of formaldehyde in their home.  CDC and FEMA staff will contact them to discuss their housing alternatives and answer their health questions.

  11. What do the test results mean?
    While there are no guidelines for formaldehyde levels in residential housing, various agencies have published levels of concern that vary based on individual circumstances.  Generally, the higher the relative level of formaldehyde exposure, the greater the risk of health problems.  Several important factors will help occupants evaluate what an individual level means for occupants:
    • Age of people in the unit.  Formaldehyde exposure is a special concern for children and the elderly.  Children might be especially likely to become sensitive to formaldehyde, and the elderly may be less able to tolerate relatively high formaldehyde exposures. 
    • Health conditions of people in the unit.  Formaldehyde is irritating to the airways.  People with asthma, bronchitis, or other breathing conditions are especially sensitive to exposures such as formaldehyde.  Unborn children also may be especially sensitive, so pregnant women should be considered especially sensitive.  People with other chronic diseases may also be less able to tolerate formaldehyde exposure. 
    • How the unit is used.  Some people are in their units essentially all the time.  Other people are in their units only for shorter periods. 

  12. Were the tests scheduled to coincide with the cooler weather and less humid conditions prevalent in the winter months?
    No.  However, we recognize that cool weather testing cannot be generalized to summer conditions.  Depending on alternative housing progress, additional testing in the warmer months may be required.

  13. Why are mobile homes included with trailers in this process?
    Manufactured housing (often called "mobile homes") is included as part of the random sample because a large number of this type of housing has been provided in the Gulf Coast Region.  While provided as temporary housing, mobile homes are also designed for long-term habitation.  Millions of Americans live in manufactured housing across the nation.  The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulates the construction of manufactured housing and has developed guidelines that limit the amount of formaldehyde which can be emitted by materials used in mobile home construction.  FEMA will continue to offer manufactured housing that meets or exceeds HUD standards as a temporary housing option.  FEMA also will continue to sell or donate manufactured housing that meets or exceeds HUD standards.

  14. If occupants have health concerns, what are their options?
    FEMA's goal is to move all occupants out of temporary housing as rapidly as possible.Occupants who have health concerns associated with their units have been offered the option to move into a hotel or motel until more appropriate housing is located.  Occupants can contact FEMA's formaldehyde hotline with questions or concerns: (866) 562-2381 or TTY 1 (800) 462-7585.

  15. Why does FEMA continue to allow occupants to live in these units if they may be hazardous to occupant's health?
    FEMA is actively working with all occupants living in trailers and mobile homes to move them into alternative long-term housing as rapidly as possible.  FEMA will move any resident into a hotel or motel immediately and is working with all residents to provide them with a housing alternative.  Every occupant who has expressed health concerns to the FEMA hotline has been offered an alternative, and FEMA is working with each of them to find a permanent housing solution that meets their needs.  FEMA has also ceased the sale and deployment of travel trailers pending the result of the studies.

  16. How many trailers and mobile homes in the Gulf Coast are currently occupied?
    As of November 23, 2007, there were about 47,000 households located in trailers and mobile homes. Since July 1, 2007, 18,733 households have moved out of trailers and mobile homes. On average, FEMA has been moving 810 households out of trailers and mobile homes weekly across the Gulf Coast.

  17. How many people have been identified as having heath concerns because of formaldehyde?
    On July 21, FEMA set up a Formaldehyde Call Center for occupants living in trailers and mobile homes who have questions or concerns about formaldehyde.  Not all of these calls represent complaints or requests for relief; many are calls simply to request information.  As of November 23, 2007, the total numbers of occupants that have contacted the FEMA Formaldehyde Call Center and requested alternative housing are as follows:

    State of Louisiana: 3,985

    State of Mississippi: 1,252

    State of Alabama: 41

    State of Texas:  1,283

    Total:   6,561

    All 6,561 households have been offered an immediate move to a hotel or motel.  To date, 614 have accepted this option, while 1,573 have moved into alternative long-term housing options, 541 have refused all options, and the remaining have been provided with a variety of alternatives, are considering their options, and are being actively engaged by FEMA staff to find them an alternative housing solution.

  18. Why is there a delay in providing alternative housing for those who request it?
    Housing stock is still limited.  However, FEMA is working with occupants and providing options.  To take advantage of alternatives, occupants must make their decisions based on what best fits their needs, and based on the resources available to them.  Occupants may request and receive rental assistance in order to move into an apartment or other rented living alternative.  However, in order to be eligible to receive rental assistance, occupants must apply for and pass a credit check or a background check at the request of the landlord.  In addition, because landlords receive payment directly from the federal government, landlords must first go through a registration process of their own.  All parties must agree on a move-in date before FEMA can authorize and provide rental assistance.  Occupants should contact FEMA if they are experiencing any unexplained delays.

  19. Are reports accurate that FEMA employees are prohibited from entering travel trailers even though more than 50,000 households live in them?
    There is a misperception on this issue.  FEMA employees enter travel trailers at the invitation of residents every day.  There are no rules limiting FEMA employees from entering into occupied travel trailers.  However, staff working on sealed, stored trailers located on storage lots have been advised not to enter trailers because they may have a much larger build-up of formaldehyde than those currently in use.    In these situations, a draft study by the Department of Health and Human Services' Federal Occupational Health office recommends proper ventilation before entry, and further guidance will be provided to staff when this study is completed.

  20. Why did FEMA take so long to begin this testing?
    Testing of this scale and, importantly, developing an understanding of what the results might mean, has taken several months to arrange.  Remember, there are no federal guidelines applicable to residential environments, so a number of experts were consulted to develop an appropriate strategy for protecting occupants' health.

  21. How long will FEMA need to move a resident into a permanent solution after a trailer is determined to have an elevated level of risk?
    FEMA has been and will continue to work with each occupant to assist them in identifying and transitioning to their permanent housing solution. However, if an occupant has formaldehyde concerns, FEMA will immediately move the occupant out of the Temporary Housing Unit and into a hotel/motel.  Once the occupant is in the hotel/motel, their FEMA case manager reviews their housing options and works with them to locate their desired housing solution that fits their individual housing needs.

  22. Will FEMA require relocation for those in dangerous trailers?
    The final determination of mandatory relocation of any occupants from their trailers will depend on the concentrations of formaldehyde observed, occupant usage of the unit, and expert guidance from the public health community regarding risks of continued exposure.

  23. Have the levels of those who have called to complain about potential exposure through the hotline been tested?  Why/why not?
    As of November 23, 2007, 1,771 households have called the hotline to request a test.  A small percentage of these will be tested through the CDC random sampling set to begin in early December.   Once the results have been assessed, the decision of whether or not to do additional testing will be made. If further testing is called for, any occupant who desires a test will be afforded one.

  24. While living in a trailer, there are several steps you can take to reduce your  formaldehyde levels and to protect your health:
    • Increase ventilation.  You can reduce your exposure to formaldehyde by bringing more outdoor air into your home.  Open windows and doors whenever possible.
    • Keep indoor temperatures moderate.  As the temperature rises, the effects of formaldehyde may be more noticeable.  You can use the air conditioner to keep temperatures relatively low, which will help lower the formaldehyde effects and odors.
    • Lower the humidity.  You can decrease the rate at which formaldehyde is released from pressed wood and other projects by lowering the humidity in your travel trailer.  Humidity should be maintained at about 40% to 50% relative humidity in the home.
    • Do not smoke inside.  Tobacco smoking produces formaldehyde and other toxic chemicals.

Occupants can contact FEMA's formaldehyde hotline with questions or concerns: (866) 562-2381 or  TTY 1 (800) 462-7585.

Last Modified: Thursday, 13-Dec-2007 09:39:01 EST