Chinese drywall concerns in Newport News subdivision
By Patrick Terpstra, 13News NEWPORT NEWS – Nearly 70 homes in a Newport News neighborhood could be checked after Chinese drywall was found in one house. …
See all stories on this topic

Estero home tested for Chinese drywall lawsuits
NBC2 News
ESTERO: A federal judge has ordered 30 homes across the country be tested for Chinese drywall, to set a standard for all of the federal lawsuits surrounding …
See all stories on this topic

Editorial: Let’s see more action on drywall
The News-Press
That’s at least some help for people whose recently built or remodeled homes have been damaged or ruined by Chinese drywall, which smells like rotten eggs …
See all stories on this topic

South Florida Business Journal – by Paul Brinkmann

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency tests of high-sulfur Chinese drywall have confirmed differences between the imported material and U.S.-made drywall, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said Tuesday.

The new EPA tests showed the Chinese-made drywall contained sulfur that was not in U.S. drywall, strontium (a metallic element) at levels 10 times as high as in U.S. drywall and two other organic compounds generally found in acrylic paint that were not detected in any U.S.-made wallboard, according to a news release.

“We now know there are three things in there that aren’t in other drywall samples,” Nelson, a Florida Democrat, said in the release. “We’ve got the what, and now we need the why and how do we fix it? In the end, I think all this stuff is going to have to be ripped out.”

Nelson’s office said the EPA has determined more tests are needed, including air sampling in affected houses, to determine whether the drywall is the cause of corroded wiring and appliances and the alleged health problems. Nelson said he and Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-Louisiana, will file an amendment to pending legislation to provide emergency funds for further investigation and continued testing.
http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2009/05/18/daily29.html

Chinese drywall has been causing problems in newer homes across the country. The material reportedly emits sulfur fumes that fill homes with a “rotten eggs” odor. The fumes from the drywall have also been linked to corroding metals in many of the homes, and people living with the material have reported sinus and respiratory problems. Many residents have had to leave their homes because the Chinese drywall has made them unlivable, and some builders are scrambling to gut homes and replace the drywall.

http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/5897

BOYNTON BEACH, FL — U.S. Representative Robert Wexler, (D) Boca Raton Florida, received a first-hand look at homes affected by tainted Chinese drywall. He toured homes in the Cobblestone Creek community in Boynton Beach. He says, “I don’t want to be an alarmist, but there are some potentially significant economic and health hazards that are akin to a hurricane.”

Heather DeSola and her husband have lived in the community for two years. They built their house and decorated it so it was perfect. The problem is the house is anything but. The house has the tell-tale signs of tainted Chinese drywall. The copper has turned black. The ac unit had to be replaced. Her jewelry has turned black. Most concerning – her family is now experiencing health problems.

Heather gets migraines, her oldest son has nose bleeds, both of her children have respiratory problems and her husband has horrible allergies.

Congressman Wexler and Florida’s Surgeon General both say more health studies need to be done. The Congressman says he’s filing legislation to provide tax deductions for homeowners who have to repair their homes affected by the drywall

The DeSola’s are not waiting. They are packing-up and hope to be out of their house by the weekend.

Congressman Wexler and Senator Bill Nelson are holding a town hall meeting Wednesday in West Palm Beach. It is being held in the Mayor’s Boardroom at 10:15.

Source: http://www.wptv.com/news/local/story/Rep-Wexler-visits-homes-with-Chinese-drywall/3GZNnUcigEOpheUPUWwfeQ.cspx

Click and stay up to date! www.helpchinesedrywall.com

The Christian Science Monitor now reports that as many as 100,000 homes may be affected, with the reparation bill running into the billions of dollars. Florida homeowners are reporting a crazy list of symptoms arising from the presence of the sulfur-emitting drywall. They include “rotten egg” smell, rusted bath drains, dishwasher failure, discolored jewelry, and headaches and throat and sinus irritation.

Phew. All this from some drywall. At least so the victims have been led to believe. The U.S. suppliers and the builders refuse to take any responsibility, insurance companies claim they don’t know what to think and some lawmakers are urging the governor to declare the problem akin to a natural disaster. Suits have been filed, and some of the builders involved have declared bankruptcy. Meanwhile, some homeowners are stuck with houses they can neither live in safely nor repair. Some of the houses are being bulldozed. These are houses that are only a few years old!

What I have been unable to determine yet is where else this drywall ended up. Could any of us amateur remodelers have picked some up at the home improvement store? Did any of the stuff find its way to states other than Florida? Worth keeping an eye one, for sure.

Source: By Jeff Beneke, About.com Guide to Garages & Storage Spaces

Click and stay up to date! www.helpchinesedrywall.com

In a letter sent Friday to both the EPA and the CDC, Crist asks both agencies to dispatch an environmental response team, as well as industrial hygienists from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to help inspect homes and evaluate possible health hazards from the reported corrosive gasses being emitted from Chinese drywall, the moniker given to the defective drywall that is believed to have been imported from Asia during the housing boom.

“The health hazards posed by exposure to chemicals in these homes are currently unclear, but we believe that a thorough and robust exposure assessment will enable [the Florida Department of Health] to determine if a health advisory is warranted,” Crist said.

The Department of Health’s state toxicologist and indoor air programs coordinator performed a preliminary assessment of 12 homes in South Florida in January, finding that the drywall in those homes contained strontium sulfide and elemental sulfur. Further tests determined that high relative humidity or heat produced hydrogen sulfide, carbonyl sulfide and carbon disulfide in what had been determined to be defective drywall, all of which can cause copper corrosion in homes and possibly pose a health hazard, Crist said.

Through mid-March, all of the drywall problems were coming from Florida, making it a state issue. But, since then, complaints have been received from Louisiana, Virginia and North Carolina, the governor said, opening the door for a federal investigation.

Crist was prompted to reach out to the EPA and CDC after receiving a letter from U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Delray Beach, sharing more details about the defective drywall on Thursday.

At least two class action lawsuits have been filed against foreign drywall manufacturers, including the Knauf Group of Germany, which manufactured drywall from a pair of China plants during the housing boom. Knauf has denied responsibility, claiming its toxicologists could find no link between copper corrosion and health problems in homes and the 67.3 million square feet of drywall it exported to the southeastern U.S., beginning in 2006.

Source: http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2009/03/30/daily90.html

Click and stay up to date! www.helpchinesedrywall.com

Danny Discusses Chinese Wallboard on the Early Show

As if homeowners didn’t have enough to worry about, they can now add toxic gases emitted by imported Chinese drywall to the list. Increasing evidence indicates that some of the over 500 million pounds of drywall shipped to the U.S. from China during the housing boom following Hurricane Katrina contained potentially toxic materials that can release gases believed responsible for damaging homes and causing health problems.

Risks to Health and Home

Some homeowners with Chinese drywall report a strong sulfur smell, similar to that of rotten eggs, permeating their homes. Health problems are said to include headaches, respiratory ailments, irritated eyes, and nosebleeds. In addition, the toxic gas is thought to be responsible for corroding copper and tarnishing silver, resulting in the failure of everything from computers and TVs to air conditioners and refrigerators. Even electrical wiring and switches have been affected, as have the silver on mirrors and jewelry.

When Imported

Corroded copper in refrigerator.

According to estimates, approximately 20 million square feet of Chinese drywall has been imported into the U.S. since 2004. It’s thought to have been installed in somewhere between 50,000 to 100,000 homes. Problems have been reported so far in over a dozen states including Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. Homeowners in Florida have been the hardest hit, with over 140 complaints received and several class action lawsuits filed.

Tests Conducted

Tests recently conducted for the Florida Department of Health, found small amounts of the chemical strontium sulfide in samples of imported wallboard. When combined with humid air, trace amounts of the toxic gases hydrogen sulfide, carbon disulfide, and carbonyl sulfide were released. Further testing will be conducted to determine more about the chemical makeup of the product and the amount of gas released.

Products Involved

Chinese drywall made by 20 different companies was imported into the U.S. between 2004 and 2008. Several of them—including Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin (KPT), Knauf Gips (KG), and Taishan Gypsum Co.—have been the focus of the lawsuits that have been filed to date.

What to Do

It’s impossible to determine the origin or manufacturer of installed drywall without removing sections of it, and even then, drywall is often poorly marked on the back or not marked at all. Since some imported drywall doesn’t appear to cause a problem, the best way to know if your house is at risk is the sulfur smell and by checking the copper in appliances for signs of corrosion. Tests on samples can then be conducted to confirm the presence of contaminants. If your drywall does have a problem, there is little that can be done to alleviate it other than tearing out all the drywall out and replacing it.

Source: http://www.dannylipford.com/diy-home-improvement/safety-and-security/toxic-chinese-drywall-is-it-in-your-home/

Click and stay up to date! www.helpchinesedrywall.com

As if Florida’s housing market hasn’t had enough bad news lately, it now seems that some homes built with imported Chinese drywall have experienced problems ranging from rotten egg odor to appliance failure, and in some cases health problems.  The culprit, according to homeowners involved in class action lawsuits in Florida, Louisiana, and Alabama, is high levels of sulfur within the drywall.  The corrosive gas has destroyed copper wiring, causing air conditioners and other appliances to fail.  Some homeowners claim the drywall has caused health problems, including headaches, sore throats, insomnia, and swollen joints.

During the boom years of 2005 and 2006, when frenzied new home construction combined with post-hurricane reconstruction, home builders found some material, including drywall, in short supply, and looked to cheap imports to fill the need. The gypsum used in the drywall, plaintiffs claim, originated in a Chinese mine with toxic levels of sulfur, though the companies that sell the drywall deny this claim.  It is estimated that the number of homes with Chinese dry wall could be as high as 50,000, with Florida accounting for as many as 30,000.  Time Magazine asks “Is Drywall the Next Chinese Import Scandal?“

Source: http://greenbuildingelements.com/2009/03/25/chinese-drywall-blamed-for-health-wiring-problems/

Click and stay up to date! www.helpchinesedrywall.com

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