Federal government trailers that have been declared unsafe for occupancy are being donated to local governments and police departments across the state. Many are now in northeastern Pennsylvania.

Throop, Moscow, Tunkhannock and Stroud Township, as well as Luzerne County and the East Stroudsburg School District are among many government entities and municipalities that have accepted donated trailers, which will be used in emergencies as well as for community events, including the annual Throop Cow Flop.

The Scranton Police Department also has requested two trailers, which would serve as mobile command centers.
Federal officials initially procured the trailers to house victims displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. This year, researchers found that about one-third of the structures are exuding a cancer-causing formaldehyde gas which can cause symptoms such as burning eyes, nausea and impaired breathing.

Residents are moving out as fast as homes can be found for them, and the government has initiated long-term health studies.

Formaldehyde, a chemical used to speed up manufacturing, is found in many products. It’s particularly common in the inexpensive fiberboard frequently used in trailer interiors. When exposed to air, it vaporizes and can build up, especially if it’s hot and humid and ventilation is poor.

After discovering the formaldehyde problem, federal officials faced a decision of how to dispose of the supply of uninhabitable trailers.

At first, the Federal Emergency Management Agency opted for a capitalist approach, by selling them to the public at deeply discounted prices.

When reports poured in that the trailers were making people sick, FEMA lawyers advised agents to wait to perform follow-up tests.

“The clock is running on our duty to respond to them,” said one e-mail, revealed during a congressional investigation last summer.

Facing criticism, FEMA halted the public auctions and offered to buy the trailers back. With the auction solution nixed, the agency initiated a donation program.

Several of the Northeastern Pennsylvania’s townships and boroughs can count themselves as FEMA beneficiaries.

A good deal?

Along with the annual Cow Flop, Throop’s trailer will be used for Throop National Night Out, as emergency shelter, and for a host of other community activities, said Thomas Lukasewicz, president of the Throop Borough Council, who is not alarmed by emerging toxicity reports.

“I would assume that for short-term usage, that that wouldn’t be a problem,” Lukasewicz said of the trailer’s potential for releasing formaldehyde gas.

“This trailer had a value of $18,500 and we got it for $1,850,” he said. The fee was imposed by FEMA to pay for delivery of the trailer.

“This was a win-win situation.”

The Scranton Police Department’s two trailers, if granted, would be used as mobile command centers during emergencies, said Chief David Elliott, who also is unconcerned about exposure.