FEMA offers to buy back tainted homes

HOPE, Ark., Jan. 30 (UPI) -- Dangerous formaldehyde levels in thousands of trailers have prompted the Federal Emergency Management Agency to repurchase the auctioned Hope, Ark., homes.

The 10,839 mobile homes auctioned off by FEMA, which were originally intended for hurricane Katrina evacuees, have been cited for exposing residents to dangerous levels of formaldehyde gas, The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tenn., reported Wednesday.

"Literally thousands of people were exposed to the toxic chemical because of the negligence of the government," said a Sierra Club spokeswoman who helped conduct air-quality testing on FEMA mobile homes.

This month, FEMA reportedly mailed notification of its offer to repurchase the homes at their full selling price after citing concerns about formaldehyde dangers in the homes.