Chinese Drywall

Chinese drywall lawsuits from around the country may be consolidated in a single jurisdiction. Some plaintiffs’ attorneys, as well as some defendants, are advocating that the Chinese drywall lawsuits be consolidated and transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Fort Myers Division, which is located in the epicenter of the Chinese drywall problem.

Homeowners in at least 16 states have complained that fumes from Chinese-made drywall produce a “rotten eggs” odor and cause metals, such as air conditioning coils, to corrode. The fumes have also been associated with respiratory and sinus problems in some residents. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, the U.S. imported roughly 309 million square feet of drywall from China during the housing boom from 2004 to 2007. While the first complaints about the material came from Florida, homeowners in many other states – including Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana and North Carolina – have reported problems.

Earlier this month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released results of tests it conducted that compared Chinese drywall to American-made material. The tests found sulfur and two organic compounds associated with acrylic paint in the Chinese drywall that were not present in the American wallboard. The agency said more testing is needed to determine if any of the compounds found in the Chinese drywall are responsible for problems reported by homeowners.

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