Senator: homeowners need definitive answers

October 29, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, today expressed continued frustration at the pace of the federal government’s investigation into reports of health problems and corroded wiring, pipes and appliances found in homes with imported Chinese drywall.

Nearly 2,000 homeowners in 30 states, including Florida, have brought complaints or voiced concerns about the drywall in their homes.

The probe began in February, and preliminary tests released Thursday proved inconclusive.

“If you hear impatience in my voice, you are an accurate judge,” Nelson told officials with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and other federal agencies. “What I am reflecting is people’s concerns, their financial devastation, health effects.

“I simply don’t think it [the investigation] is happening fast enough,” Nelson said of the probe.

The CPSC, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control plan to continue the investigation.  The CPSC promises results of more intense testing by Thanksgiving.

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