Knauf Gips, a German manufacturing company, continues to argue that it is not responsible for the defective Chinese drywall produced by its subsidiary Knauf Plasterboard Tinjian, even though documents filed in German and US courts reveal a close tie between the two entities.
Newport News, VA Chinese drywall town hall meeting with CPSC representatives still left homeowners, and now renters, with no answers to their questions concerning water safety, health problems, foreclosure.
The drywall was installed in the home that the article references, as being located in Coconut Grove. The attorney for the couple that purchased the home told the jury this week that there was indeed adequate time to stop installing the drywall, and to halt the process. The bottom line is that the drywall did end up in the home.
The CPSC released a list of drywall manufacturers whose drywall produced high levels of hydrogen sulfide during testing. They stated “There is a stong association between hydrogen sulfide and metal corrosion.” Highest Levels: Knauf Plasterboard (Tianjin) Co. Ltd.: (year of manufacture 2005) China
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has seen complaints flow in surrounding toxic Chinese drywall from more states than not, but some specifically have been hit the hardest.
Federal agencies will most likely continue to react and respond to legislative measures, consumer issues, and the developing lawsuits taking place in the federal court system.
[4] Watered down domestic protectionism in the traditional sense is not a bad thing, as it simply alludes to the fact that free-trade is facilitated in a more efficient manner. The problem arises at a later point in the consumer protectionism context, where the TBT and SPS agreements are so limiting upon government that certain standards are left to industries.
In Newport News, Virginia, officials have expressed frustration with the lack of options. The Daily Press quoted Madeline McMillan, Newport News council member, as stating “As a municipality, we are limited. We don’t have the funds or a mechanism for the funds to channel to [homeowners in my jurisdiction], so it’s frustrating for me…[m]y heart goes out to them.”
The past decade has been fraught with instances of outright dangerous products coming to the American market from China, with little regulation and less accountability. The phrase “Made in China” has turned into a cultural catchphrase, evidencing the fact that China is now the largest owner of U.S. treasury debt and a primary source of American consumption.
As thousands of homeowners over the past year have discovered defective drywall in their homes, authorities are struggling to cope with the unprecedented crisis. It seems that all methods to identify problem drywall are being utilized by those on the front lines. K-9 scent detection is now in use. Canines are often referred to as [...]
