Nagin Bashes New FEMA Plan

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - New Orleans' Mayor Ray Nagin says the federal
government's plan to move residents of FEMA trailers to apartments
and hotels isn't a good solution to concerns about formaldehyde and
will only lead to "a second great displacement" following
Hurricane Katrina.
Nagin made the comments in a letter to President Bush, dated
Friday. Nagin's office released a copy of the letter late Tuesday.
In it, Nagin says there isn't sufficient housing in the city to
accommodate those that will need to be relocated from trailers. He
says recovery programs meant to bring back housing haven't gained
traction yet.
The mayor also says the Federal Emergency Management Agency
needs to do better in providing health information and other
assistance to those living in federally issued trailers.
Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention said fumes from 519 tested trailers and mobile homes in
Louisiana and Mississippi were, on average, about five times what
people are exposed to in most modern homes.
Formaldehyde is a preservative commonly used in construction
materials; it can lead to breathing problems and is also believed
to cause cancer.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)