Federal Science Bungle of the Week: Ignoring Warnings About Formaldehyde In FEMA Trailers
“Our tax dollars are being used to lie about the impact of toxic pollution” said Becky Gillette, a formaldehyde campaign director for the Sierra Club, during a contentious hearing before the House Committee on Science and Technology’s Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight Wednesday. The hearing focused on the release of a February 2007 report authored by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, a sister organization of the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, requested by Federal Emergency Management Agency. The report, which understated the health risks of elevated levels of formaldehyde in temporary housing trailers for victims of hurricane Katrina and Rita, led FEMA officials to believe the formaldehyde levels in the trailers did not pose a health hazard to occupants thus delaying appropriate action to mitigate the public health problem. This incident is another scar on the facade of an Administration that has presided over the repeated mismanagement of scientific evidence.
Controversy arose when it became known the ATSDR’s report, “Health Consultation on Formaldehyde Sampling of FEMA Temporary-Housing Trailers,” contained scientifically unsound information as a result of what Rep. Nick Lampson (D-TX) called, “not following typical protocol you teach in basic science classes.” Dr. Christopher De Rosa, the CDC’s chief toxicologist testified at the hearing that the report was, “possibly misleading, and a threat to public health.” Subcommittee members were flummoxed to learn how mismanagement at the CDC, the ATSDR, and FEMA stalled revision of the report, delaying measures that would protect thousands of hurricane survivors from exposure to unhealthy levels of formaldehyde.
The hearing also highlighted the collapse of management among the different federal agencies. Dr. Christopher De Rosa, the whistleblower at the CDC who questioned the soundness of the ATSDR report, revealed his troubles in getting the attention of his superiors–he even had a letter he sent to FEMA expressing his concerns quietly filed away. De Rosa was eventually put on a 90-day work improvement plan and relocated to another department for making noise about the flawed ATSDR report, a claim his superiors deny. De Rosa’s superiors, Dr. Howard Frumpkin and Dr. Thomas Sinks, Director and Deputy Director at the ATSDR respectively, acknowledged the bad science in the report and the delayed response of ATSDR in fixing their report, promising that steps were being taken to address the shortcomings. Subcommittee Chairman Brad Miller (D-NC), with email records on hand, grilled the two ATSDR officials on how such a mistake could happen.
Formaldehyde is strong-smelling gas used in the production of particle board and urea-foam insulation, major material components in most trailer homes. It is considered a carcinogen and is absorbed into the body through the respiratory tract, and through eye and skin contact. Symptoms of formaldehyde exposure include skin rashes, sinus problems, headaches, depression, insomnia, nausea, eye irritation, nose-bleeds, and recurrent colds. Long-term effects include changes to the immune system, possible development of some cancers, and the risk of damage to DNA. Nevertheless, after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, FEMA provided such trailers leeching unhealthy levels of the gas to over 100,000 families who lost their homes until more permanent alternatives became available.
Subcommittee members agreed this was only the beginning of a greater investigation and possible litigation if these agencies are found guilty of gross negligence or wrong-doing.
For more backstory:
Scientist: CDC Bosses Ignored Warning (AP)
CDC officials admit failings on FEMA trailers, will not fire whistleblower (E&E Daily, subscription)
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