Latest Health Hazard: Contaminated Drywall From China

[Purveyor]

By Jessica Klipa and Duane Marsteller | Bradenton Herald

BRADENTON, Fla. _ In 2006, more than 495 million pounds of drywall was imported into the United States from China during the height of the building boom. The drywall was shipped to more than 15 U.S. cities, including New York, Houston, Los Angeles and New Orleans, according to a Bradenton Herald analysis of shipping data from the Port Import Export Reporting Service, or PIERS, the primary source of U.S. waterborne import-export trade.

Some of it appears to be contaminated, homeowners complain that it smells bad and corrodes copper pipes, and there have been a flurry of lawsuits, a round of finger-pointing and elevated interest in government offices in Tallahassee and Washington.

America’s Watchdog, a national advocacy group for consumer protection, has confirmed defective drywall in homes in Michigan, Virginia, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Maryland, North and South Carolina, New York and New Jersey, with more being investigated.

Martin estimates that 10,000 homes in Florida and more than 100,000 nationwide eventually will be affected. His teams are taking samples and testing air quality in homes across the nation.

MORE...

McClatchy: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/62213.html

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

1. We need to just stop buying their shit

They don't care about poisoning their own people, and they certainly don't care about poisoning us.

[Blue_Tires]

8. +1

sadly so many companies that actually used to make things here have outsourced their last of their manufacturing base to Asia/Mexico

[leftofthedial]

2. Once the oligarchy succeeds in driving our standard of living and median wages low enough

I think a real growth opportunity will be to find ways of turning our toxic waste into cheap products that we can then sell into affluent markets like China and India. I'll get started on the business plan.

[BootinUp]

4. lol nt

[ThomWV]

3. Let me guess, contaminated with the dust of the bones of children?

[williesgirl]

5. K&r to get the word out in case other DUers have this problem.

[izquierdista]

6. This is wrong on so many levels....

Drywall is heavy, so shipping is expensive. Drywall manufacture is automated, so the labor is a very small percentage of the price. What POSSIBLE reason would there be to buy drywall from China and ship it half way round the globe?? What's next, air?

I take that back...I remember going into the dollar store and seeing little bags of rocks. The kind that go in the bottom of flower vases....Made in China. :eyes:

[madrchsod]

7. the news of this broke around christmas..

the lawyers are all ready signing up clients

http://www.sgglaw.com/PracticeAreas/Defective-Dangerous-or-Tainted-Chinese-Products.asp



from the appraisers forum explaining what the problems are

http://appraisersforum.com/showthread.php?t=149529



http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/dec/24/chinese-drywall-causes-problems-treasure-coast/

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. We refused to LOOK at any house built before 1960 when we bought here.

fortunately, in the South, smal rural communities have plenty of pre-60's brick houses.
and wonderful wood floors.
We did of course have it inspected prior to signing papers.