Friday, February 22, 2008
SOME RV COMPANIES RECEIVE AN INQUIRY FROM CONGRESS ABOUT FORMALDEHYDE
RV Business
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Coachmen Industries Inc. today (Feb. 21) announced that it has received an inquiry from the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the U.S. House as part of the committee's investigation into formaldehyde levels in travel trailers and other forms of temporary housing provided by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to victims of the Gulf Coast hurricanes from 2005 through 2007.
Pilgrim International Inc., Middlebury, Ind., and Nappanee, Ind.-based Gulf Stream Coach Inc., which had a contract with FEMA for up to 50,000 units totaling approximately $521 million, also received letters of inquiry, according to news reports.
Coachmen is a publicly traded company while Pilgrim and Gulf Stream are privately held.
"Coachmen's first priority is and has always been the quality and safety of all of our products," stated Rick Lavers, president and CEO of the Middlebury-based builder. "While Coachmen did not sell any trailers directly to FEMA, we know that a proportionately small number of our products were used by FEMA. Nevertheless, we will make every effort to cooperate fully with the committee's request for information on our products."
The committee, headed by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., has requested that Coachmen provide the requested information by March 7. The company will provide additional details regarding its response at that time.
The Elkhart Truth reported that also included in the inquiry is a series of pointed questions, asking each manufacturer how many units it made specifically for FEMA, why formaldehyde was used in the production of the units and why the maker sold to the federal agency travel trailers that have high levels of formaldehyde. A letter also was sent to FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison.
The request comes on the heels of findings released by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) regarding air quality testing on 519 occupied trailers in the Gulf region. The agency found most showed relatively low levels of formaldehyde outgassing, but around one-third had levels that may affect people more susceptible to fumes and a small percentage tested for higher levels.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Coachmen Industries Inc. today (Feb. 21) announced that it has received an inquiry from the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the U.S. House as part of the committee's investigation into formaldehyde levels in travel trailers and other forms of temporary housing provided by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to victims of the Gulf Coast hurricanes from 2005 through 2007.
Pilgrim International Inc., Middlebury, Ind., and Nappanee, Ind.-based Gulf Stream Coach Inc., which had a contract with FEMA for up to 50,000 units totaling approximately $521 million, also received letters of inquiry, according to news reports.
Coachmen is a publicly traded company while Pilgrim and Gulf Stream are privately held.
"Coachmen's first priority is and has always been the quality and safety of all of our products," stated Rick Lavers, president and CEO of the Middlebury-based builder. "While Coachmen did not sell any trailers directly to FEMA, we know that a proportionately small number of our products were used by FEMA. Nevertheless, we will make every effort to cooperate fully with the committee's request for information on our products."
The committee, headed by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., has requested that Coachmen provide the requested information by March 7. The company will provide additional details regarding its response at that time.
The Elkhart Truth reported that also included in the inquiry is a series of pointed questions, asking each manufacturer how many units it made specifically for FEMA, why formaldehyde was used in the production of the units and why the maker sold to the federal agency travel trailers that have high levels of formaldehyde. A letter also was sent to FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison.
The request comes on the heels of findings released by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) regarding air quality testing on 519 occupied trailers in the Gulf region. The agency found most showed relatively low levels of formaldehyde outgassing, but around one-third had levels that may affect people more susceptible to fumes and a small percentage tested for higher levels.
