The investigations, the tasks which were charged to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, were initiated to establish a nexus between the reported damages stemming from 32 states. The damages reported have been both health and property related. Most complaints are alleging respiratory symptoms, headaches, and other like symptoms. Property reports tend to be associated with sulfur-like odors in the home that make habitation unbearable, the corrosion of metals, and damages to piping and air conditioning units.
According to Florida officials, some information was withheld regarding research, a fundamental disconnect in planning procedures, and other routine measures that the officials apparently felt were rudimentary exercises of diligence with regard to the matter’s urgency.
While favorable loans are not a solution nor an answer to homeowner woes, it is still a step in the right direction to address the issues while definitive test results are still pending. The amendment introduced by Nye would provide for Small Business Administration home disaster loans, for the purpose of repairing or replacing drywall in homes. Generally such loans are provided to those affected by natural disasters, but given the unique and complex nature of the situation, Nye and others believe it to be applicable.
After months of scientific testing, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released the results of its investigation Thursday. The results: federal investigators found higher than normal levels of sulfur and strontium in Chinese drywall samples. As a caveat, the report did not conclusively link the health problems and reported damages that thousands of U.S. homeowners have reported to the agency with the drywall directly. Instead of an outright assertion, the CPSC said additional testing was needed and that a new report should be released at some point in November.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is prepared to release its results regarding the drywall investigation prompted by reports from over 1,500 consumers from over 27 States. TheChineseDrywallLawyer.com is probing the basics of the investigation itself for the convenience of homeowners across the nation. See the general article here.
The “Health” aspect of the investigation stems from reports of respiratory illnesses, headaches, sinus issues, acne, coughing, bloody noses, asthma, itchiness, among others. Many homeowners have reported that the symptoms either dissipate completely or lessen to a noticeable degree when they are not in the home, but return or fluctuate upon returning to the residence.
As homeowners who have been adversely affected by the presence of Chinese drywall in their homes await the results of the investigations that have been underway by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), some may be wondering the measures, inquiries, and elements of the investigation.
Due to the numerous consumer concerns relating to imported Chinese drywall, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, working with the Consumer Product Safety are coordinating efforts to investigate and address the matter.
The process, while far from simple, has fundamental aims – to measure the levels of gases that may be emitted from the drywall. One example of the investigation in progress is the EPA’s involvement in performing air sampling and home monitoring in Louisiana and Florida. The CPSC is using 50 homes as a test population in Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida, to gain samples from a broad array of possible sources.
The CPSC stated in its report that the exportation of Chinese drywall reaches further than solely the continental United States – Saipan, Guam, and American Samoa also were included in the report as locations where residents have filed reports with the agency. 28,778 sheets were imported in to the three above mentioned locations during 2006. Diligence, however, is within the purview of the agency – the CPSC has indicated that investigators intend to visit on-site locations in China starting today – Monday August 17.
