The U.S. House today approved Senate Bill 1660, a bill to amend the Toxic Substances Control Act to reduce the emissions of formaldehyde from composite wood products. It was introduced by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and earlier passed the Senate. THANK YOU SENATOR KLOBUCHAR!! With Congressional approval, it now goes to President Obama for his signature to make it law.
This doesn't make up for the tens of thousands of Americans who have gotten sick from formaldehyde outgassing from wood products. But it is vindication for the families in FEMA trailers whose complaints about burning eyes, sore throats, headaches and respiratory problems from the formaldehyde were ignored for years.
This is not entire answer to formaldehyde exposure. Formaldehyde is also used in clothing, personal care products, in vaccines, in products put in RV holding tanks, etc. But wood products are one of the largest sources of formaldehyde. Without passage of this bill, it would have been several more years before EPA would have been able to regulate formaldehyde under the TSCA.
Next up, let's hope Congress improves and then passes the Safe Chemicals Act of 2010 reforming TSCA. Go to http://blog.saferchemicals.org/2010/06/tired-of-toxics-give-congress-a-jingle.html to take action.
About ToxicTrailers.com
ToxicTrailers.com is dedicated to providing information about formaldehyde poisoning, and advocating effective government regulations. The government spent more than $2 billion on FEMA trailers with hazardous levels of formaldehyde, and now has dumped more than 103,000 former FEMA trailers known to be toxic on the market. If you are living in a former FEMA trailer and want a free test for formaldehyde, e-mail nicholas.shapiro@anthro.ox.ac.uk.
The FEMA trailer tragedy exposed what is a widespread problem in RVs, mobile homes, modular buildings and even conventional buildings. If you are having burning eyes, congestion, sore throat, coughing, breathing difficulties, frequent sinus infections or rashes, and difficulties concentrating, you may have a formaldehyde problem. For questions or to share your story, write 4becky@cox.net.
To make a complaint about former FEMA travel trailers being advertised or rented as permanent housing in violation of the sales contract, e-mail david.robbins@gsa.gov.
Plywood made with Soyad, soy-based alternative too formaldehyde glue, is available at Home Depot at no extra cost. For a eco friendly travel trailer built with materials that don't outgas formaldehyde, see http://www.goevergreenrv.com/.
