Legislators React to Defective Chinese Drywall Installed in Homes

Two U.S. Senators have filed a bill seeking a recall and temporary ban of certainChinese Drywall, the latest effort to address problems with Chinese-made drywall believed to be emitting unpleasant, sulfurous odors and causing unusual air-conditioner problems in homes from Florida to Louisiana.

Sens. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Mary Landrieu (D-La.) introduced the bill, which also asks the Consumer Product Safety Commission to conduct a study of Chinese Dry Wall in conjunction with the National Institute for Standards and Technology and the Environmental Protection Agency. They want the study to include at least 10 samples of Chinese drywall that was imported during 2004 through 2007 and used in residential dwellings in the U.S. The study should include at least one sample of Chinese drywall from residences located in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Virginia, according to the bill's text. The bill is called the Chinese Drywall Safety Act of 2009.

Reports of problem drywall first surfaced in January, and Home builder Lennar Corp. is suing two Chinese Drywall manufacturers, claiming the Chinese wallboard is defective and is causing electrical problems and emitting rotten odors in dozens of homes in the state.
                                                                                                                                                                        
This month, the legal battle over Chinese Drywall issues spread to Louisiana, where a couple in a suburb filed a lawsuit against certain drywall manufacturers, alleging the wallboard in their house
is emitting a "rotten egg" smell, causing respiratory problems and corroding electrical equipment.

 The CPSC said in February it had begun an investigation of complaints about Chinese drywall issues, focusing on if the sulfur-based gases emitted from the drywall are corroding household wiring and posing a potential safety hazard.

At the time, the agency said it could order a halt in further sales of certain drywall products if it determines there's a safety hazard. A spokesman for the CPSC said the agency doesn't comment on proposed legislation, but he confirmed the agency's investigation is continuing. Last week, the CPSC sent four additional staffers from its compliance, toxicology and electrical engineering departments in Washington, D.C. Those specialists joined field investigators to check homes for Chinese drywall issues and returned with samples, the spokesman said.

 The CPSC has no safety standards for drywall, a construction material commonly used to build interior walls, and the agency has said it isn't aware of other federal standards for the product. The bill asks the agency to determine whether a consumer-product-safety standard regulating the composition of materials used in drywall is necessary to protect the health and safety of residential homeowners.