FEMA: Let them breathe toxins!

In an infuriating and criminal lack of common sense, compassion and morality, the government agency that was universally ripped for responding lackadaisically to Hurricane Katrina allowed the disaster's victims to live in trailers that they knew were emitting dangerous fumes.

For more than a year FEMA -- the Federal Emergency Management Agency -- ignored the warnings of employees working to help the hurricane's refugees resettle that there were high levels of toxins in the trailers that people were being housed in. It turns out that there are levels of formaldehyde gas, a chemical that causes cancer and respiratory ailments, 75 times higher than the maximum allowed by law in the workplace.

"One man in Slidell, La., was found dead in his trailer on June 27, 2006," the Boston.com story says, "after complaining about the formaldehyde fumes," and in a conference call various officials from six different agencies recommended a deeper look into the circumstances. "But FEMA lawyers rejected the suggestions, with one cautioning that further investigation 'could seriously undermine the Agency's position' in litigation."

Are you kidding me?! This is outrageous! This is beyond incompetence, but rather criminal negligence, and it's about time that Congress is following up on its oversight obligations on such matters. This should be turned over to the Department of Justice for prosecution, and then something needs to be done immediately for the 66,000 families still in these trailers.

These revelations come as the Globe reports today on a Harvard study that shows how doctors unconsciously treat blacks and whites different in emergency rooms, often not prescribing the potentially life-saving treatments to African Americans that they would to Caucasians. Are these stories related? Just try telling me that race and class aren't real issues that impact the health and well being of people in America every day.