Right Reading for RVers

July 22nd 2007 03:14 am

formaldehyde poison sign
RVer Alert

Are you adding deodorizing chemical to your holding tanks that contain formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, quaternary salts or other harsh chemicals? When you dump your tanks in a dump station that feeds into a wastewater treatment plant or leach lines, the poison is spread to the groundwater. Check the labels on your chemicals. Dispose of toxins properly and buy an alternative. You should use environmentally friendly biodegradable ingredients to control odor.


Our Government at WorkFEMA trailers are toxic to the people living in them. FEMA has known about the formaldehyde outgassing problem since 2006, but have not taken action except when people complained. FEMA is now the target of a class-action lawsuit, as they should be.

Formaldehyde outgasses in high heat and humidity, so we put flood victims from the Gulf Coast in them? Why?

Toxic Chemical Outgassing in New Trailers and RVs

Toxic Trailers (PDF) - right click to view or save report

From the report:

  • Sierra Club testing has shown that 83 percent of FEMA trailers tested in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama have levels of formaldehyde above the recommended limit of 0.10 ppm.
  • An estimated 150,000 FEMA trailers were distributed in Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Alabama and Texas following hurricanes in 2005.
  • The problem is apparently not just regarding FEMA trailers. The Sierra Club tested 13 different types of the RVs used as FEMA trailers and all models had some tests showing elevated levels.

June 4, 2007
ABC News: Embalmed in Your Own RV

May 16, 2007
Are FEMA Trailers Making Residents Sick?, CBS News: Homes For Those Displaced By Katrina Can Contain High Toxin Levels - CBS News

February 15, 2007
Mardi Gras Overshadowed by Toxic Trailers

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Related posts:

  1. Do You Want Formaldehyde With That?
  2. Newsletters of Interest to RVers!
  3. Black and Gray Water Holding Tank Maintenance

Posted by CyberCelt under Product Reviews & Trouble |

3 Responses to “Right Reading for RVers”

  1. Jon responded on 23 Jul 2007 at 4:37 am #

    I enjoyed visiting your blog. The article on the FEMA trailers hit home. Many folks here in Mississippi stay in these trailers since they lost their homes during Hurricane Katrina, and so many are complaining about the toxic trailers. Best regards, Jon
    http://mississippigarden.blogspot.com

  2. Jeff responded on 23 Jul 2007 at 7:51 pm #

    wow, I was looking into buying an RV, glad I ran across your blog.

  3. CyberCelt responded on 25 Jul 2007 at 5:14 pm #

    @jon-it is awful. First we allowed these folks to languish on rooftops and in the dome for days. Then we split up their families and shipped them everywhere in the US. The ones that stayed were put in toxic trailers, built to FEMA specs.

    @jeff-Buy a used RV, and you will be okay. If, after sitting in the sun, you smell outgassing, then the wood will need to be sealed with polyurethane.

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