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Archive for the ‘Chinese Drywall’ Category
Homeowners target ‘toxic’ drywall – NBC Nightly News
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010
Federal authorities provide guidance to Chinese drywall affected homeowners
Monday, April 5th, 2010Homeowners affected by defective Chinese drywall recently received some direction and guidance to their ongoing struggles. Many families are trying to move on with their lives, after the homes in which they have resided have been found to contain potentially dangerous drywall, which has been linked to corrosion and other problems. Interim remediation guidance was advanced by two major authorities that have played key roles throughout the Chinese drywall crisis. The U.S. Department and Urban Development (HUD), and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
See the Public Affairs portion of the HUD website by following this link.
You may view the recent Executive Summary from the CPSC release here.
Scientific studies have been performed by various agencies including the CPSC and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as HUD. The recommended protocol can be viewed here: Visit the Drywall Information Center Site.
Removal of the tainted drywall and various corroded household components is recommended due to the risk of cross-contamination.
The CPSC has, in the past, released guidance and educations to homeowners with an aim at helping people distinguish defective or possibly tainted drywall from non-defective wallboard. The identification of suspect manufacturer markings has also been the subject of issued protocols.
Jon Gant, the Director of HUD’s Office of Health Homes and Lead Hazard Control stated, “This guidance, based on the CPSC’s ongoing scientific research, is critical to ensuring that homeowners and contractors have confidence that they are making the appropriate repairs to rid their homes of problem drywall.” The release is regarded as the “latest step” and that the process to work with other entities and partners is very important – Mr. Gant even suggested “policy solutions based on. . . . CPSC’s scientific findings” are around the corner.
There is a plethora of potential policy solutions implicated by the Chinese drywall crisis, ranging from home insurance policy legislation to legislation dealing with the business relationship between the U.S. and China – especially in the context of consumer goods. Stay tuned as we continue to bring you the latest releases and updates.
Detailed Chinese drywall ruling to be expected
Monday, March 8th, 2010The initial trial that began last month to determine the protocol to fix homes contaminated by Chinese drywall came to an end Monday, March 1st. U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon is expected to release a detailed ruling within the next few weeks.
During the trial homeowners gave statements regarding the heartache Chinese drywall has caused their families, while scientists and engineers presented detailed evidence of the amount of work that would need to be done in order to restore these homes.
The ruling is expected to include the extent of remediation, as well as a monetary judgment against Taishan Gypsum Co. “The plaintiff’s attorneys are asking for at least 2.5 million to be awarded to seven Virginia families whose homes have the contaminated Taishan drywall.” Remediation costs, estimated by several independent Virginia home builders, came out to $86 per square foot.
The trial was expected to last at least 5 days, however with the withdrawal of Taishan leading to no cross-examination or defense witnesses, it only lasted two.
Dean A. Rutila, of Simpson Gumpertz & Heger an environmental consulting firm, studied the seven Virginia homes as well as the control homes. He has also visited homes in Florida that were contaminated by Chinese drywall stating that the damage, or corrosion, caused by Chinese drywall “is unacceptable from the perspective of life safety and the building code.” Remediation “requires the replacement of all drywall, electrical equipment and all copper and silver components in the houses.” During the trial Mr. Rutila presented the results of testing done in the affect homes.
New York Times: Judge Weighs Damages in Chinese Drywall Case
Thursday, February 25th, 2010The New York Times recently ran a piece detailing the events of a court case involving Virginia Chinese drywall victims and Taishan Gypsum Co. To read the story in its entirety, visit: Judge Weighs Damages in Chinese Drywall Case.
Throughout the story, as well as many others written on the case, it is easy to see that the plaintiffs, which include a group of Virginia homeowners, have been greatly effected by this problem.
It is up to United States District Judge Eldon Fallon to rule on the case. While it is limited to seven families, there are many others who are waiting for their day in court. This problem is widespread, and many of those who have been effected are looking for some sort of help. Fallon said he will make a decision “as fast as I reasonably can.” For those involved, as well as people watching the case from the outside, the sooner the better.
Check back often for information on this case, as well as many others that will be headed for the courtroom in the near future.
Federal Agency Provides Chinese Drywall Investigation Update
Thursday, January 7th, 2010In its latest update, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says that through the end of December, it received 2360 incident reports related to Chinese drywall from 35 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. However, more than 90% of reports continue to be from Florida, Louisiana, and Virginia.
Among other initiatives, the agency is working with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to assist HUD in developing guidance for the use of the Community Development Block Grant program for the identification and remediation of problem drywall in homes. Along with other federal agencies, CPSC continues to investigate the chain of commerce of imported drywall and questioning firms in the U.S. and abroad about drywall issues. CPSC also continues to investigate all reports of fire incidents related to drywall, but none have been confirmed to be related. In early December, CPSC hosted a technical videoconference about drywall issues with the Chinese government.
As alluded to in the report, the state of Virginia has been particularly hard hit by the Chinese drywall crisis. Virginia homeowners have an opportunity to get answers to their Chinese drywall question during two upcoming free Town Meetings next week:
If your house contains Chinese drywall, or you suspect that it might, you need to know your legal rights immediately. Please consider attending one of the upcoming town meetings in Chesapeake or Williamsburg to obtain time-valued information about what you need to do next. For more information about your legal recourse in connection with Chinese drywall in your home, contact The Law Offices of Richard J. Serpe, P.C., Toll Free 877-544-5323.
Chinese Drywall Town Hall -Chesapeake & Williamsburg, VA
Thursday, January 7th, 2010Virginia Chinese Drywall
Town Hall Meetings Next Week
Meeting 1 – Chesapeake, Virginia:
Date: Monday, January 11, 2010
Time: 7:00 P.M – 9:00 P.M.
Location: Chesapeake Conference Center,
900 Greenbrier Circle, Chesapeake, VA 23320
Meeting 2 – Williamsburg, Virginia:
Date: Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Time: 7:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M.
Location: Williamsburg Marriott,
50 Kingsmill Road, Williamsburg, VA 23185
To Be Discussed:
-A detailed discussion: Remediation of Chinese drywall
-Financial recovery options for Virginia homeowners
-Details regarding the upcoming deadline to join lawsuit against Taishan
-Case updates, including the status of default judgment trial in Germano, et al., v. Taishan gypsum Co., Ltd., et al
-Updates regarding the use of Venture Supply Chinese drywall
Don’t forget your neighbors.
Homeowner Foots the Bill for His Own Repairs
Thursday, December 31st, 2009Toxic Chinese drywall is said to have entered the United States during late 2000 or early 2001 and reached peak use between 2004 and 2006. Houses are often built with materials (drywall) from several sources and investigators have discovered a mixture of good and tainted drywall in most cases. This makes it potentially easy to pass by a handful of tainted boards that could ruin a home or potentially cause a health risk to occupants.
Homeowners have also made claims of severe allergic reactions to the gases given off by the toxic boards. Symptoms have ranged from a runny nose/cough with a headache to upper respiratory irritation, nose bleeds, and worse.
Many feel that the federal government should come to the aid of homeowners, such as Brian Eisenberg of Boynton Beach, Florida. However, many homeowners feel that help isn’t coming fast enough.
Eisenberg’s six-bedroom home was built with Chinese drywall in 2007 and he believes the drywall is responsible for damages to his home and health. Last week work started at Eisenberg’s house to gut and repair all damages caused by the drywall. Eisenberg is footing the bill by himself because he’s frankly tired of waiting.
“We’re spending a lot of money without any aid from the government or any other agency to do this,” says Eisenberg “Because the government is dragging its feet in setting protocol, we have to basically take it above and beyond what we think the government is going to expect for remediation.”
FTC Warns Consumer of Bogus Toxic Drywall Kits
Thursday, December 31st, 2009The Federal Trade Commission issued the following statement this month. There are currently no federally approved test-kits or recommended methods of repair for tainted Chinese drywall. The statement warns that any such kits on the market are fraudulent and should be reported.
Some U.S. homes built between 2003 and 2008 contain imported drywall, known in the press as Chinese drywall. Some consumers who live in these homes have reported problems, including a strong sulfur smell, like rotten eggs; health issues, like irritated and itchy eyes and skin, difficulty breathing, a persistent cough and headaches; and premature corrosion or deterioration of certain metal components in their homes, like air conditioner coils and wiring behind electrical outlets and inside electrical panel boxes.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is the lead federal agency investigating damage to homes blamed on imported drywall. The effort to identify the causes of the damage also involves the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Other federal agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, and state law enforcement and health authorities are investigating the issue, as well.
The Federal Interagency Task Force has performed significant testing of drywall and homes, and found a strong association between the problem drywall, the hydrogen sulfide levels in homes with that drywall, and corrosion in those homes.
The FTC says homeowners should be on the alert for anyone trying to sell test kits, inspections, and quick fixes for tainted drywall. The Federal Interagency Task Force is studying testing and remediation protocols for affected homes, but no federally-approved testing kits or remediation methods currently exist.
You can learn more about the federal government’s drywall investigation, and sign up for email alerts, at www.drywallresponse.gov. To file a complaint, visit the CPSC at www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/drywall.aspx, call toll-free, 1-800-638-2772 or email, info@cpsc.gov.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
HUD Relief for Chinese Drywall Possibly on the Way
Thursday, December 31st, 2009The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development may soon offer relief to victims of toxic Chinese Drywall. Thousand of homes were built across the United States during 2004 and 2005 using bad drywall shipped here from China.
Toxic drywall is often hard to detect. Houses are often built with drywall coming from multiple providers making it even harder to track down. However, when exposed to high humidity and heat the drywall will emit foul sulfur gases that are reported to have been corrosive to copper wiring/other metal components. Homeowners also claim to have had health problems such as irritated and itchy eyes and skin, difficulty breathing, persistent cough, bloody and runny noses, recurrent headaches, sinus infections, and asthma attacks as a direct result of Chinese drywall.
Sen. Nelson announced last week that the Department of Housing and Urban Development is deciding on how to provide relief to residents in need of assistance.
“HUD’s Office of Community Planning and Development will shortly be issuing guidance making it clear that actions to remediate drywall can be eligible for assistance under the Community Development Block Grant program,” writes HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan to Sen. Nelson.
“This is the first time that the federal government clearly has identified a possible way to fix the drywall,” said Sen. Nelson in a statement to the media. “Hopefully we’ll get the guidelines within a couple of weeks.”
Less testing, More Fixing
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009“In ways still to be determined, hydrogen sulfide gas is being created in homes built with Chinese drywall,” a CPSC statement regarding Chinese drywall said. “Earlier studies found large amounts of elemental sulfur in the Chinese drywall.”
The CPSC acknowledges Chinese drywall, rotten egg-smelling hydrogen sulfide gas, and the corrosion of metal/wiring in U.S. homes having a “strong association”. No official studies have been released with regards to the claims of nose bleeds, bronchitis, dizziness, headaches, fatigue, and irritated eyes as a direct result of exposure to the tainted drywall.
“We’re still working towards that specific nexus between the health effects reported to us and the drywall itself,” says Wolfson. “That’s a commitment we certainly have to these affected families. We’ve been in those homes. We’ve felt it. I felt it, the chairman of CPSC has felt it.”
However some feel the CPSC should spend more to fix the problem at hand and less “testing”. Construction Consultant Michael Foreman says the CPSC is “putting all [its] eggs into one basket”.
“They [CPSC] did extensive analysis,” Foreman says. “But they’re still overlooking the biological or the organic aspect of it, and concentrating on the mineral reaction of it. And I’m not 100 percent sure that’s going to be as fruitful as they all seem to think.”
Sean Payton, Lead Plaintiff in Class-Action Suit
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009Sean Payton, coach of the Saints was chosen to be the lead plaintiff in a 591 page class-action suit filed against Knauf Plasterboard Tainjin Co. Ltd. Knauf Plasterboard Tainjin Co. Ltd. Was responsible for manufacturing drywall that is believed to be related to the corrosion of copper wiring and other metal in the home. This drywall is also suspected of causing health problems ranging from a runny nose or a head-ache to severe allergic reactions, nose bleeds, and upper respiratory irritation.
Payton was chosen to be lead plaintiff because he was one of the first in his area to report electrical failures and allergic reactions to the drywall in his own home says Attorney Daniel Becnel Jr.
“It really upset him a lot because this was all going on while he was trying to prepare for training camp,” Attorney Becnel said.
About 2,100 people signed up to be apart of the suit filed Wed. Dec. 9th 2009 against Knauf Plasterboard Tainjin Co. Ltd. Some 600 people were late getting on board with this suit. However, Russ Herman, lead plaintiff counsel in the national litigation plans to file those 600 into an overseas complaint.
Chinese Drywall- Possible Health Risks
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009Toxic Chinese drywall is said to have first entered the United States in late 2000 or early 2001 and it reached it’s peak use between 2004 and 2006. Reports of houses smelling of rotten-eggs and charred electrical wiring spread quickly throughout the US. Many federal agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, plus many state health departments are investigating Chinese drywall. The goal of the investigation is to determine it’s potential risk to the health of residents and how destructive it is to other building materials.
Reports state that insurance claims submitted by homeowners affected by toxic drywall to replace the defective drywall have been denied. Insurance companies have denied these claims because many federal agencies have not yet pinpointed the problem definitely.
`Testing conducted by manufacturer consultants found low levels of carbonyl sulfide and carbon disulfide gases, which are colorless and smell similar to rotten eggs.
Residents have made reports of a “rotten egg” smell in their homes, also blackened and corrosive metal components. Health symptoms such as irritated and itchy eyes and skin, difficulty breathing, persistent cough, bloody and runny noses, recurrent headaches, sinus infections, and asthma attacks have also been reported.
