Feds: Chinese Drywall Reports Inconclusive

Government Stops Short of Linking Material to American Homeowners' Health Problems or Corrosion of Pipes and Wires

(CBS/AP)  Federal studies released Thursday cannot yet definitively link imported Chinese drywall to health problems or corrosion of pipes and wires that thousands of U.S. homeowners have been reporting for nearly a year.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is leading the multi-agency investigation, said it needs to further study the matter before it can consider a recall, ban or other solutions to help affected homeowners. Additional results from ongoing studies were due to be released next month.

"The expansive investigation and scientific work that has been done and continues to be carried out is all aimed at providing answers and solutions," Lori Saltzman, a director in the CPSC's Office of Hazard Identification and Reduction, said Thursday. "No connections have been made yet."

Saltzman said the agency, which has so far spent $3.5 million on the studies, has received nearly 1,900 homeowner complaints during one of its largest consumer product investigations in U.S. history.

"We understand this problem has literally driven people from their homes," she said.

Homeowners, however, were frustrated by a lack of answers.

"So many of us have been really waiting on these results released today to offer us encouragement, but in fact, we're quite disappointed," said Holly Krulik, of Parkland, Fla., about 45 miles north of Miami.

Krulik and her husband, Doug, along with their two young children, moved in with her parents about six months ago because she says the Chinese wallboard in their home was making them sick and ruining the house.

"We're hanging on by a thread here. When is help going to arrive?" said Krulik, who will soon join hundreds of others who have filed lawsuits.

Thousands of homeowners like the Kruliks who bought new houses built with the potentially defective materials are finding their lives in limbo as the lawsuits against builders, contractors, suppliers and manufacturers wind through the courts.

During the height of the U.S. housing boom, with building materials in short supply, American construction companies imported millions of pounds of Chinese-made drywall because it was abundant and cheap.

A document obtained by CBS News shows that by 2006, 228 million kilograms - about 500 million pounds - was imported into the U.S. from 20 companies in China.

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They are heavily concentrated in the Southeast, especially Florida and areas of Louisiana and Mississippi hit hard by Hurricane Katrina.

The defective materials have since been found by state and federal agencies to emit "volatile sulfur compounds." Officials have also found traces of strontium sulfide, which can produce a rotten-egg odor, along with organic compounds not found in American-made drywall. Homeowners complain the fumes are corroding copper pipes, destroying TVs and air conditioners, blackening jewelry and silverware, and making them sick.

And some homeowners are reporting that their insurance companies are dropping or refusing to renew their policies based on the presence of the wallboard in their houses, putting them at risk of foreclosure.

The federal test results released Thursday largely confirmed what prior testing had found. The multiple agencies investigating, including the CPSC, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, acknowledged the reported health symptoms are consistent with some sort of contamination. But the culprit is unclear.

The Chinese government is assisting with the investigation.

"We're prepared to work with our partners across government on remediation and rehousing families impacted by this problem and to help families whose homes have lost value," said Dr. Warren Friedman of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

In the meantime, he suggested affected homeowners contact their lenders for assistance or seek help through local grant programs, but he could not yet say what sort of federal help might be offered.

[fourswids]

FYI: it's not just Chinese drywall that is toxic. I have 289 sheets of Georgia Pacific drywall in my house...which is so corroded and full of sulfur that we had to move out. All of our appliances, tvs, computers, all burned out due to the amount of sulfur that they had going through them. How can this NOT be affecting our bodies? There are various other American drywall manufacturers that have the same problem. They got greedy in the construction boom and skipped steps to increase production. Now we are going to lose our home, our savings is gone, and we don't know if the things that we took out of the house are still going to make us sick.

[henrichero]

We know that chinese drywall outgassing is very dangerous to the homeowners health.We have seen and heard from occupants of these homes and we have witnessed the results of breathing in the polluted air.
We have been helping homeowners in Florida,Alabama and Louisiana who have the chinese drywall in their homes.We have been shipping air washer units specifically made to neutralize the chemical outgassing ,so that the occupants may stay safely in their homes until a final solution is found.We have testimonials from afflicted homeowners ,that our units have totally removed the gases and that they can live comfortably.FOR MORE INFO PLEASE CALL HENRI CHERO 1888 852 8247ext239...www.chinesedrywallsolution.info

Warmest Regards,
Henri Chero

[henrichero]

We have been helping homeowners in Florida,Alabama and Louisiana who have the chinese drywall in their homes.We have been shipping air washer units specifically made to neutralize the chemical outgassing ,so that the occupants may stay safely in their homes until a final solution is found.We have testimonials from afflicted homeowners ,that our units have totally removed the gases and that they can live comfortably.FOR MORE INFO PLEASE CALL HENRI CHERO 1888 852 8247ext239...www.chinesedrywallsolution.info

Warmest Regards,
Henri Chero

[quidam56]

Wise County, Virginia is being bombed, blasted and bulldozed right into 3rd world Appalachia thanks to mountaintop removal. Our environment is a moonscape, our water and air are toxic, the coal is shipped to power The Empire of China, in return we can buy cheap toxic toys, toothpaste, drywall, produce fertilized with night soil ( human waste ) and now tires that are defective. It's time to stop decapitating America, make toys, toothpaste, drywall, produce and hemp to fuel our cars, the farmers could use the boost and we would never have to import another barrel of oil and put American's back to work.

Appalachia can't stand anymore of the progress and prosperity thanks to mountaintop removal. http://www.wisecountyissues.com/?p=138 We are toxic enough already.

[babooph]

About 20 years ago,ALL the copper pipe was defective & failed ,causing very big repairs-no talk of guilt then -must have paid off the media with their lobbyists-the Chinese do not need better product,just lobbyists to bribe their way out...

[mgunn89512]

Actually we didn't give anything to them... they paid for it with blood, sweat, and tears. They had an option to play our game or not and they chose to play. They didn't force anything on us and respected our credibility (money) which we can print at will and no one else can. They didn't force anything upon us... we CHOOSE to transact and then we cry and forget we have free will when something goes wrong.

Also 'they' are huge and with some problematic products but most are probably satisfactory. Do we really think ALL our products are bad just because of some examples of problems came out of some companies in distant cities? Of course not. Just do a consumer or industrial danger search in the US and you will be staggered with the thimerosal, transfat, faulty cars & recalls, e.coli, botulinum, salmonella, mad-cow, Love Canal, nuke site waste, mercury, acid rain, etc etc etc and please don't forget what our companies do outside too like our oil and mining companies in Africa or like Union Carbide in Bhopal India, etc.

What happened to innocent until proven guilty and the scientific method versus hysteria. Maybe some chinese drywall manufacturing made some bad stuff but who owns the company? Could be American owned. Who's responsible for inspecting when purchasing? The seller? or the buyer???

Scapegoating is always easiest.

[Funky-President]

I live in Florida and this is a HUGE problem. These people are incompetent if they can't link these two issues! Now the Gov. says inconclusive! Really, it looks like they only solution is to burn the house down. Not too many people know this but Chinese drywall is much more flamable and can spontaniously combust but this info is inconclusive mostly because I made it up but also because it was never tested in this way either.

[Oregon_State_OSU]

Sounds like somebody got Paid to Keep Quiet !

[stupa3]

Chinese motto "scam american on all goods sold to US..."
They will take over this country unless the US citzen speaks up & boycotts Walmart!

[stupa3]

don't trust chinese products only locak eggrolls with shrinp filling beware of fried cat passed off as sweet & sour chicken!

[chonder2]

The Consumer Product Safety Comission still cannot come to a conclusion?


HUMMM...

Do they have to be TOLD what conclusion to come to?

Maybe the US Chamber Of Commerce is involved too!You know what the Chamber's initial response was: "These home owners are standing between a coporation and a dollar bill".

[mswolfestock]

I'm not surprised. They have no scruples. They put lead in the paint used on kid's toys. And how many dogs and cats died from poison in the pet food?

I don't trust the Chinese any more than I trust middle easterners, and that is NOT AT ALL.

[missme4]

You want cheap products? This is how cheap products are made. Either except it and shut up, or demand American products. All the cars in my drive way are american made. All ford/Lincoln products from a company that did not take a bailout. How about you people? And assembling Japanese cars in america at reduced wages does not count. American products have american names! Wake up people.

[Surelyoujest]

"I'm not surprised. They have no scruples. They put lead in the paint used on kid's toys. And how many dogs and cats died from poison in the pet food?"



No biggie for them.
It just means that there will be dinner for four that night.

[missme4]

"the report released Thursday stopped short of linking it to health problems"


Perhaps will should use this drywall in the FEMA trailers amerca makes with the toxic plywood.

[anti-global3]

What a bunch of lying, thieving scum the Chinese are. THe only reason they are not still starving like they were 40 years ago is because they stole technology and trade secrets from other countries and businesses.
I wish the worst to this country and it's people. The U.S. should be doing everything we can to undermind them like they have done to us. Mark my words, sooner or later they will be at 3rd world status again, and that is good for America.

[I_am_me1953]

If America survives long enough. Otherwise China is the up-and-comer nation.

Sure am glad I padded my future and married a Chinese woman.

Good luck to you round eye.

[Henri_Rochard]

Might be a bad idea for the Chi-Coms to go 3rd world. They would be able to finance Bush and Obama's deficit.

[missme4]

@ anti-global

"they stole technology and trade secrets from other countries and businesses."

Are you for real? Let's get it straight. They did not STEAL the technology. WE GAVE IT TO THEM! We gave them the blueprints, recipes, manufacturing processes and everything else. And, we gave it to them so corporate america could make a bigger profit and we could get a cheaper product. This is american's fault for not protecting their future. If someone walks up to you and hands you the recipe for success do you refuse and walk away? Of course not! That would be idiotic. Now, if someone walks up to you and demands you give them your money, house, car future do you give it to them? Americans do! That is what happens every time they buy Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, etcetera products. Next time you shop at Wal Mart or Honda and Toyota ask yourself a question. "How will fellow american workers benefit from me buying this foreign garbage?" That's all it takes. Just think!