Toxic trailers for hurricane victims? Heckuva job, FEMA

0 Comments | USA TODAY, August, 2007

Paul Stewart and his wife, Melody, lost "everything we owned in the span of a couple of hours," when Hurricane Katrina swept through their home in Bay St. Louis, Miss., nearly two years ago.

In December 2005, they were relieved when the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) delivered a new travel trailer that would become their temporary home.

That relief, however, was short-lived. Within days, Paul's eyes and throat got scratchy. He started coughing. Melody awoke with a bloody nose. One morning, they found their pet cockatiel barely able to move.

Last month, in testimony before a House committee, Paul credited the bird, Cici, with saving their lives. Their veterinarian guessed the problem might be fumes from formaldehyde, a chemical common in...