Chinese Drywall Recall Bill Introduced as More Lawsuits Filed
U.S. Senators from Florida and Louisiana introduced legislation this week to impose a Chinese drywall recall and ban on the defective drywall that has caused homeowners throughout the southeast to experience a strong smell of rotten eggs, damage to their electrical wiring and appliances and health problems caused by high levels of sulfur in the drywall.
The drywall problems have been linked to millions of pounds of the building material imported from China between 2004 and 2007, which was made from waste material collected from the chimneys of coal-fired power plants, known as fly ash residue.
The Chinese drywall contains high levels of sulfur compounds which could produce a strong smell of spoiled or rotten eggs throughout the house. The gases have also caused homeowners to experience repeated problems with their air conditioning system coils and other wiring throughout the home, which could become corroded.
Did You Know?
Millions of Philips CPAP Machines Recalled
Philips DreamStation, CPAP and BiPAP machines sold in recent years may pose a risk of cancer, lung damage and other injuries.
Learn MoreThe Drywall Safety Act of 2009 was introduced by Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) on Monday, seeking a recall of Chinese drywall and a temporary ban on use of the materials made in China.
The legislation would also require the Consumer Product Safety Commission, National Institute for Standards and Technology and the Environmental Protection Agency to work in conjunction on a study of Chinese drywall imported into the United States between 2004 and 2007 for use in residential homes throughout the country.
“This defective Chinese drywall represents an attack on our homeowners, a defrauding of our homebuilders and another obstacle on our road to recovery,” Sen. Landrieu said. “The Consumer Product Safety Commission should have been the first line of defense in preventing this inferior product from entering the U.S. market in the first place.
“The federal government now has a responsibility to assess the full scope of the problem and immediately prohibit further importation,” she said. “We also need to help our struggling homeowners with the repair costs that will be necessary to rid their homes of this toxic product.”
Chinese drywall lawsuits have been filed throughout Florida against the makers, exporters and suppliers of the defective drywall as well as retailers who sold the product and builders who used it. The lawsuits seek compensation for homeowners who now have to replace every piece of drywall in their homes and will likely suffer a diminished value for their home.
Earlier this month, the first defective drywall class action lawsuit outside of Florida was filed in Louisiana on behalf of homeowners in that state. It is believed that homes in Louisiana that were damaged during the 2005 hurricanes may have built with the Chinese drywall because of the sudden increase in demand created by a national housing boom at the same time.
5 Comments
"*" indicates required fields
DruOctober 2, 2010 at 12:21 am
I have had remodeling done recenyly most recent was my bedroom and after a very hot and humid summer we are experencing some problems with smella, my stove's 2 burners quit working among other things. We have been sick for about 2 months I have taken 2 antibiotics and my lungs are so congested I can feel my lungs are full but nothing comes out. Every nite I fever up and feel so sick I have no app[Show More]I have had remodeling done recenyly most recent was my bedroom and after a very hot and humid summer we are experencing some problems with smella, my stove's 2 burners quit working among other things. We have been sick for about 2 months I have taken 2 antibiotics and my lungs are so congested I can feel my lungs are full but nothing comes out. Every nite I fever up and feel so sick I have no appetite and everything tastes funny, do you suppose this is from the drywall?My husband also is sick and his face is breaking out,it looks like he has burns! Please help!
jackApril 28, 2009 at 7:16 pm
I am totally disapointed with the Republican Party in not putting forth a bill of their own to recall all the drywall in the US.It seems as if they just don't care one bit.Can you tell me if any of the Republican Party has even expressed any concern about this defective drywall?Why can't they work together on this enormus hazardus situation?If bailouts are the topic of the day.
EdwardApril 8, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Our house is in Virginia and was remodeled 6yrs ago. Our appliances are all failing( they're all under 5 years old, electical problems everywhere. We've been having health problems galore. I was wondering how to find out if my house might have this drywall? I'm trying to find out what is causing
Florida Chinese Drywall Complaints Lead to Call for Federal Help - AboutLawsuits.comApril 6, 2009 at 4:45 pm
[...] week, bills were introduced in the U.S. House and Senate seeking to impose a Chinese drywall recall and calling for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the National Institute for [...]
HowardApril 5, 2009 at 5:40 am
The federal government needs to step in before the lawsuits get out of hand, tie up the courts and eat up funds that should go towards remediation. The fed can work with international trade, insurance companies, stimulus, etc to develop a plan to remediate that will stimulate the economy in a positive way where the end result is contracors and factories back to work and remediated homes for troub[Show More]The federal government needs to step in before the lawsuits get out of hand, tie up the courts and eat up funds that should go towards remediation. The fed can work with international trade, insurance companies, stimulus, etc to develop a plan to remediate that will stimulate the economy in a positive way where the end result is contracors and factories back to work and remediated homes for troubled homeowners. We are currently headed to where homeowners will have to move out and default on their loan since they wont be able to afford rent and keep paying for an empty house. The attorney's are doing a good job promoting the issue and protecting the interests of the homeowners but there's a much smarter approach to the whole issue to get funds in the right hands.