Floridians Receive Confirmation of Defective Chinese-Made Wallboard
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Reports of sulfur smelling homes and corroded wiring have been coming into the Florida Department of Health since December.
Now there is official federal confirmation that the Chinese-made wallboard, used in upward of 100,000 homes nationwide, is defective. That was confirmed by Environmental Protection Agency tests, encouraged by Sens. Bill Nelson of Florida and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana.
The EPA confirms that the Chinese-made wallboard contains sulfur and strontium, a metallic element, at ten times the level of U.S.-made drywall. There is also the presence of other compounds usually found in acrylic paint.
Consumers from at least six states complain that the rotten-egg smell has corroded wiring, jewelry and mirrors inside the homes. Others complain of health problems.
The defective wallboard was imported to the U.S. during the 2004 to 2008, when a building boom and post-Hurricane Katrina needs created a shortage.
Now what to do? Sen. Nelson says in a press 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.”
The EPA plans to do air sample testing inside affected housing and the Senators are filing for additional funds to cover that.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has dragged its feet on the problem. As a result, Sen. Nelson has asked for and now received the removal of CPSC head Nancy Nord, which the White House did last week.
That is a good first step to taking this issue seriously and finding some relief for these overwhelmed homeowners who are now joining class-action lawsuits to get some relief.
Lennar Homes is replacing some defective wallboard on its own. Let’s hope they continue being a good neighbor to the poor residents who trusted their name and reputation when they decided to buy a home. #