Chinese Drywall

 
By ALLISON ROSS
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Monday, March 30, 2009

U.S. Sens. Bill Nelson and Mary Landrieu have introduced a resolution and bill pressing the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to recall Chinese-made drywall and temporarily ban imports of the building material, as worries about the possible effects of the tainted product continue to grow.

Nelson, D-Fla., sent letters in February to the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency, asking them to begin investigations into the imported plasterboard.

In February, a spokesman for the CPSC said that the agency had been looking into the issue before Nelson’s letter, but that the agency “appreciates his concern.”

The bill calls for a CPSC study carried out in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institute for Standards and Technology. The study would examine samples of Chinese-made drywall used in homes in Florida as well as Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Virginia.

Problems have been reported Viscaya in Delray Beach, the Promenade at Tradition in Port St. Lucie and Woodfield in Vero Beach among others.

Separately, the resolution calls on the CPSC, the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to “take action on issues relating to drywall imported from China,” including creating a formal investigation, instituting a ban on importation of Chinese drywall or related building products, recalling hazardous Chinese drywall already in the country and seeking civil penalties against companies that produced or distributed hazardous drywall in the U.S.

Some Chinese-made wallboard has been found to emit sulfuric odors and gases thought to be responsible for corroding electrical wiring, air conditioning components, toilet handles and even jewelry.

“Anytime you have mounting evidence of potentially toxic goods you have an obligation to act quickly to protect consumers,” said Nelson said in a statement.

Source: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/search/content/health/epaper/2009/03/30/drywallbrief30_copy.html