Washington, DC - Congressman Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) released the following statement today after attending a Congressional Committee hearing examining the safety and public sale of FEMA trailers. In 2008, after historic flooding in Iowa, it was discovered that more than 100 FEMA-provided trailers in Iowa were infected with mold. It was also reported the trailers contained high levels of formaldehyde.
In November of 2007, a federal court order suspended all sales of FEMA trailers until January 1, 2010. When the court order expired, FEMA sold over 100,000 trailers with warning labels indicating they were "not to be used for housing".
"With such a dismal record of providing unsafe housing, I am concerned about FEMA's sale of these units and how they will be used." Braley said. "I am not sure that the government should be selling trailers to the public that they have already been determined to pose risks to human health. It is important that we continue to examine this issue that has impacted hurricane victims in the Gulf Coast, as well as flooding victims in Iowa and other parts of the Midwest."
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