Nelson awaiting first word on drywall probe

April 23, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A team of federal health, consumer and environmental regulators will brief congressional staff for the first time today on what they’ve found out so far about the harmful effects of Chinese-made drywall.

Shortly after the 2:00 p.m. briefing begins U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, who asked for the drywall investigation two months ago, will be available to answer reporters’ questions outside room 253 of the Russell Building.  The staff briefing itself is closed to the public.

“Hopefully, the government is starting to get a handle on this problem,” Nelson said today.

“The potential scope of this thing is huge,” The Florida Democrat added.

Florida has an estimated 36,000 homes believed to contain Chinese-made drywall.  Tons of tainted drywall also was used in post-Hurricane Katrina construction in Louisiana.  Besides Florida and Louisiana, problems also have been seen and reported in the press in Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi and California. 

All told, it’s possible that between 60,000 and 100,000 homes nationwide may contain tainted drywall, based on records of how much was imported into the U.S. from 2004 through 2008.

Among other things, the drywall is linked to seeping sulfide gases that can corrode electrical wiring and components of air-conditioning and other household appliances.

A number of homeowners have filed lawsuits, and developers are suing the manufacturers of the drywall.  Homeowner lawsuits contend the drywall has caused damage to the home, that the drywall itself must be replaced and, in some cases, that residents have suffered adverse health effects such as asthma as a result of exposure.

Nelson and Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana have filed legislation aimed at initiating a recall and imposing an immediate ban on tainted building products from China, as more and more people around the country report problems in their homes built with imported drywall.

The agencies scheduled to be at today’s staff briefing include the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control.

###