Today: Fri Aug 17 Cleaner FEMA housing Sign-on NOW to NCEHS Recommendations to US Access Board on FEMA Housing

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This is a little long, but please respond or comment if possible. Lamielle has worked hard on this. ----- Forwarded Message ----- To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;@myexchangeemail.com Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2012 5:19 PM Subject: FINAL REQUEST: Sign-on NOW to NCEHS Recommendations to US Access

Board on "FEMA Housing"

Sign-on to NCEHS Recommendation to US Access Board on “FEMA Housingâ€

REPLY IMMEDIATELY: NCEHS Comments must be submitted Friday afternoon, August 17

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NCEHS invites you to sign-on in support of our 5 recommendations for action by the US Access Board to address the needs of people disabled by chemical and environmental exposures by sending an email to marylamielle@... with the Subject: Sign on US Access Board Recommendations. NCEHS recommends that the US Access Board: 1. Support the purchase, appropriate storage, and availability of porcelain trailers or comparable housing units designed and constructed to meet the disability access needs of people with chemical and/or electrical sensitivities. A designated number of these housing units should also meet mobility and communication disability access needs in accordance with the Access Board’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Emergency Transportable Housing Units, Docket No. ATBCB 2012-0004. 2. Work with FEMA together with appropriate federal partners, including HUD and CDC, as well as advocates and experts on chemical and electrical sensitivities, to create a committee to develop technical guidance materials to address the access barriers and to accommodate persons with chemical and electrical sensitivities in emergencies and disasters. 3. Support sufficient representation of advocates and experts on chemical and electrical sensitivities on Access Board advisory panels and committees to ensure a voice in decision-making efforts so as not to put persons with these disabilities at a significant disadvantage due to lack of awareness and understanding among those in the disability community, code groups, industry, government agencies, and others. 4. Renew the Access Board’s commitment to investigate indoor environmental quality (IEQ) issues regardless of the failure of the Emergency Transportable Housing federal advisory committee to achieve a consensus on IEQ. In 2000 the Access Board created a committee to examine indoor environmental quality issues and contracted with the National Institute of Building Sciences to publish “The Indoor Environmental Quality Project Report†(2006) www.access-board.gov/research/ieq. The project resulted in a number of recommendations for future action to address IEQ and those disabled by chemical and electrical sensitivities. The Access Board abandoned these issues at a time when progress was being made. We recommend that these efforts resume. 5. Develop an Action Plan and technical assistance materials on best practices for accommodating individuals with chemical and electrical sensitivities as proposed nearly a decade ago in the ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Recreational Facilities, September 3, 2002. (http://www.access-board.gov/recreation/final.htm#SUMMARY ) Background: In 2007 the US Access Board convened a federal advisory panel on Emergency Transportable Housing, the “FEMA trailers.†I served as a member of the panel. While the group made extensive and valuable recommendations to address the emergency housing needs for those with mobility and communication disabilities, it failed to address the emergency housing needs of people disabled by chemical and electrical sensitivities. The Access Board has now released for public comment proposed guidelines for temporary housing provided by the government in emergencies and natural disasters which can be viewed at http://www.access-board.gov/news/eth-nprm.htm. The NCEHS public comment in response to the US Access Board’s Proposed Rulemaking on Emergency Transportable Housing, ATBCB 2012-0004 is attached. To comment on the US Access Board’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Emergency Transportable Housing Units, Docket No. ATBCB 2012-0004, go to www.regulations.gov. Comments are due by Friday, August 17, 2012. Thank you, Lamielle, Executive Director

National

Center for Environmental Health Strategies, Inc. 1100 Rural Avenue

Voorhees, New Jersey

08043 (856)429-5358; (856)816-88120 marylamielle@...

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