Twenty-three months after the federal government received health complaints from FEMA trailer residents and test results that showed some trailers had formaldehyde levels that were 75 times the recommended safety levels, the Center for Disease Control has confirmed that high formaldehyde levels create health risks for hurricane victims.

The Washington Post reports that the CDC recommends residents be moved by spring and summer when warmer temperatures will exacerbate the problem.  

Formaldehyde, a preservative, is known to cause respiratory and vision problems.  Long-term exposure has been linked to cancer, asthma, bronchitis and allergies in children.

"If levels are high today, that means people in housing vulnerable to formaldehyde could be exposed to health effects now. We're also concerned because they've been in there 18 months, and even a low level could result in large cumulative exposure," Gerberding said. "We know less about effects of chronic exposure. It's very important we reduce it as much and as quickly as we can, and the way to do that is to get people out of these homes."

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, criticized what he depicted as the Bush administration's tardy response. "After dragging its feet for over a year, the administration has finally come clean and released data on the health risks facing occupants of travel trailers in the Gulf Coast. I fully expect FEMA to comply with CDC's recommendation and begin moving people out immediately," Thompson said.