Politicians in America are demanding to know why a government agency apparently tried to suppress scientific evidence about health risks following Hurricane Katrina.
The allegations centre on trailers erected as temporary accommodation for those whose homes were destroyed when Katrina devastated New Orleans. Many trailers have been found to have levels of formaldehyde far higher than permitted.
Now it seems the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which took charge after the hurricane, attempted to control the outcome of a report on the issue from the US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
“The evidence that FEMA ignored, hid and manipulated government research on the potential impact of long-term exposure to formaldehyde on Katrina victims now living in travel trailers is hard to ignore. Honest scientific studies don’t start with the conclusion, and then work backwards from there,” says Brad Miller, the chair of the House of Representatives subcommittee investigating the issue (press release).
According to a press release from Miller’s subcommittee, FEMA attempted prevent consideration of long-term exposure in the report. This would be a bizarre move given those living in the trailers would obviously be subjected to long term exposure. Some people are still living in them now, more than two years after Katrina.
FEMA has denied the charges. “Any and all allegations that FEMA ignored or manipulated formaldehyde-related research are unfounded and false,” CNN quotes Carlos Castillo as saying.
CBS points out that if this is all true it means the Centers for Disease Control, which runs ATSDR, has been compromised. As CDC is, in its words, “one of the nation’s most respected agencies” the fallout could be considerable.
Bart Gordon, chair of the House Committee on Science and Technology, warned, “Our Committee has been looking closely at ATSDR for some time and we believe the report on formaldehyde in FEMA trailers may be just the tip of the iceberg. As Chairman, I assure you this will continue garnering the Committee’s attention for some time to come.”
This is far from the first time concerns have been raised over the trailers. US politician Henry Waxman has been banging on about it for quite some time.
Image: Katrina approaching Florida / NASA Visible Earth