"EPA Starts Inquiry Into Toxic Formaldehyde"
The Daily Green (12/01/08)

A new investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) into the potential risks of exposure to formaldehyde found in some of the temporary homes provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could lead to new standards limiting exposure to the chemical. The agency agreed to open its four-part investigation with a two-month window for public comment and announced its intention to conduct five public hearings on health risks. The EPA is looking into the health risks of formaldehyde, which it considers a "possible" carcinogen, at the behest of environmental watchdog groups and 5,000 private citizens who petitioned the agency to consider the chemical's link to headaches, depression, and other common health problems observed in the inhabitants of FEMA cottages. The chemical is frequently used in manufactured housing construction as an adhesive for plywood, particleboard, and fiberboard, and in cabinets, flooring, and other home components comprised of wood.
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