Shira's Post

Last summer, I experienced a surge of frustration upon reading an article in the Washington Post which recounted the conditions under which many Hurricane Katrina survivors were being forced to reside. Specifically, it was the toxic levels of formaldehyde being emitted in temporary FEMA-trailer homes which stirred most of my frustration. My frustration was coupled with anger in that the article focused not on what was being done to mitigate the uninhabitable conditions but rather focused on those denying any fault in the resulting conditions. Surely, those who are at fault for the toxic conditions ought to be held responsible for their actions. However, my concern was with respect to what was being done to improve the situations, especially given the dangerous environment in which many Hurricane Katrina victims were being forced to reside.

It was this very frustration and concern which served as an impetus in my decision to travel to Biloxi, MS to assist those living in conditions of which I had only read. Nothing, not even the Washington Post article which described the extreme levels of potentially cancer-causing gas, prepared me for what I ultimately heard and saw on my visit.

The recurring trends that I have found to be the most disturbing are the severe health conditions brought on by the FEMA-trailers’ formaldehyde and the inadequate manner in which necessary information has been conveyed to those living in the FEMA trailers.

There was not one parent with whom I spoke that told me their child or children had not experienced symptoms indicative of prolonged formaldehyde inhalation. The first mother explained how her two-year-old son suffered from severe nose-bleeds, a runny nose, continuous colds and sinus infections, breathing problems and skin irritation, none of which her son had experienced prior to living in the FEMA-trailer. Another mother, discouraged with the health problems her baby suffered on a daily basis, showed my colleague and me a towel that she had just used to tend to her baby’s bloody nose. It was completely covered with blood. All of her other children, both of whom experienced irritated skin since living in the trailer, had also become asthmatic after living in the trailer. The third mother that I interviewed legitimately feared she and her family were being “poisoned” with every breath they took in the trailer. Her children had developed such severe asthma that they had to receive breathing treatment three times a day. Further, her sister was so sensitive to the air in the trailer that she could no longer visit without developing a severe reaction.

This information needs to be brought to the public’s attention, and together we must work to ensure that no one is forced to live in such a dangerous environment. This must be done now.

How can this be done? We must make sure that residents are receiving accurate information. We must make sure that residents know their rights. We must make sure that residents are not faced with 2 choices: being homeless or living in a toxic environment.

And then, we can determine those who ought to be held responsible for the physical illness caused by the situation.

Shira Lazinger

Columbus School of Law ‘09