This is a pretty big discussion these days...
I thought you'd like to see some of the best articles I've read about it and let me know what you think...
Expert: Problem of defective Chinese drywall is no surprise
During a summit on defective Chinese drywall, a toxicologist said that kind of problem was expected.
Similar stories: • 2nd Florida insurer drops policy over Chinese drywall
2nd Florida insurer drops policy over Chinese drywall
A homeowner in Hallandale Beach lost his property insurance coverage because the house was built with suspect Chinese drywall, making Universal North America the second insurer in Florida to take action against residences that have the imported material.
In a letter last month, Universal said it would cancel the policy -- not set to expire until next July -- because the home had an ``unacceptable condition.''
The homeowner, who didn't want his name used, had filed a claim over the summer because of damage suspected to have been caused by drywall. In September, the owner got a letter that said ``the dwelling was built with Chinese drywall, which has been shown to have adverse long-term effects on the plumbing and other dwelling components.''
• Senators push for Chinese drywall relief
Senators push for Chinese drywall relief
A bipartisan group of senators from states hard hit by defective Chinese drywall is seeking a Senate resolution to urge banks and mortgage lenders to offer homeowners some relief.
The resolution introduced Wednesday carries no penalties but encourages lenders to delay or suspend mortgage payments -- without penalty -- for families with contaminated drywall. The lawmakers noted that some homeowners are juggling two housing payments because the contaminated drywall has made their homes uninhabitable.
``The dangers and health risks posed by contaminated drywall have forced thousands of families out of their homes and into temporary living situations, and many such families are unable to afford an additional financial burden,'' the resolution states.
• New U.S. consumer chief vows to answer tainted drywall complaints
New U.S. consumer chief vows to answer tainted drywall complaints
Lawmakers from Florida and Louisiana Thursday pressed new Consumer Product Safety Commission chairman Inez Tenenbaum for answers to the Chinese drywall problem plaguing thousands of homeowners in their states.
Tenenbaum -- who took over the agency in June -- pledged to lawmakers that the agency will ``vigorously pursue its investigation'' into the cause and effect of the suspect drywall, which homeowners say is corroding metal pipes and making them ill.
She said the agency hopes to issue a report on indoor air quality and health assessments in homes with Chinese drywall in late October.
• Parkland home tested for drywall emissions
Parkland home tested for drywall emissions
At the table where the Field family once gathered for dinner, dishes were replaced by a quart bags and pencil-thin vacuum tubes as the Florida Department of Health gathered air samples at the Parkland home.
Built in 2006, the Fields' 4,200-square-foot home is one of many newer South Florida houses lined in Chinese drywall. This week's test aims to determine whether health problems blamed on the building material are truly linked to it.
At issue are sulfur compounds emitted by the imported drywall that corrode air conditioning coils, copper wiring and blacken metals in homes and purportedly cause nosebleeds, chronic headaches and sleeping problems for occupants. The Florida Department of Health had received reports of concern about drywall from 434 homeowners as of Tuesday.
• Policy renewed despite drywall
Policy renewed despite drywall
Florida's public insurance company reversed course this week and said it will cover a couple's Gulf Coast retirement home, after previously telling the homeowners their policy wouldn't be renewed because of the home's tainted Chinese drywall.
``Without walking into a courtroom, this is one of my most proudest victories,'' said David Durkee, the couple's attorney.
Citizens had said it considered the drywall a pre-existing condition, leading to pollution that could cause future damage, something not covered under most policies nationwide. That's why the insurer said it had earlier issued a notice of non-renewal to James and Maria Ivory.
BY ALLISON ROSS
Palm Beach Post
TAMPA -- It was just a matter of time before a problematic building material would make it into American homes.
That's what state toxicologist Dr. David Krause told attendees during a summit on defective Chinese drywall Friday in Tampa.
``That this took so long to occur is somewhat surprising,'' Krause said.
He said that Americans have for decades used building materials that were altered to be more durable and put them into homes that were built to be tighter and less breathable.
Combine that with an absence of indoor air-quality standards, and ``this was bound to happen with some material at some point,'' Krause said.
But now the law of unintended consequences has hit home hard for thousands of families in Florida and throughout the United States, who are struggling to figure out what to do with defective Chinese drywall that gives off a sulfuric gas.
HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS
Almost 1,900 homeowners in 30 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have complained of having a problematic drywall that's tied to corrosion of metal in their homes and blamed for giving them headaches, nosebleeds and respiratory irritation.
Part of the problem, Krause told the gathering of nearly 400, is a ``lack and absence of indoor air-quality standards.''
He later told reporters that ``we sometimes just get away from `meat and potatoes' public health and stewardship,'' saying that the last major effort he was involved in to examine product emissions was in the mid-1990s.
``It was a valiant effort, but there was no interest,'' he said.
However, stricter regulation of chemicals in products would be a major undertaking, he added.
``You're talking about interstate commerce, and in this case, now international commerce,'' he said.
His comments wrapped up a two-day Technical Symposium on Corrosive Imported Drywall that brought together experts in both the private and public sector to discuss the latest details of testing and research being done on the corrosive drywall problem.
CHINA VISITU.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., was the keynote speaker Friday. He said he is pushing President Barack Obama to address the defective drywall issue when he goes to China next week.
Some Additional Links of Interest:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/29/national/main5449367.shtml
Comments(0)