FEMA trailers reappearing in Gulf to house oil spill workers

FEMA trailers are appearing in the Gulf region to serve as temporary housing for workers involved in cleanup of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, according to an investigation by Ian Urbina of The New York Times. "The trailers were discovered to have such high levels of formaldehyde that the government banned them from ever being used for long-term housing again." After the government banned their use as housing following Katrina, they sold more than 100,000 of the units. "The trailers are 'not intended to be used as housing,' said David Garratt, FEMA’s associate administrator for mission support. 'Subsequent owners must continue to similarly inform subsequent buyers for the life of the unit.'" In many cases, buyers are not being warned about the formaldehyde levels.