China Drywall Emits Gas; No Tie to Illness, U.S. Says

China Drywall Emits Gas; No Tie to Illness, U.S. Says

Oct. 29 -- U.S. investigators found elevated sulfur emissions from Chinese drywall, though they stopped short of linking the building material to ailments cited by many of the 1,900 homeowners who filed complaints.

Florida Senator Bill Nelson said he was disappointed the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission didn’t directly tie the imported drywall to headaches, asthma, and nose bleeds that homeowners blame on the material.

“They find chemical elements, but they don’t find enough to be detrimental to people’s health,” Nelson, a Democrat, told reporters in Washington after a briefing by safety officials. “I simply don’t think the investigation is happening fast enough.”

Most of the homeowners who complained were from Florida and Louisiana, where the imported drywall was used to rebuild after hurricanes in 2004 and 2005. The concern about Chinese drywall follows recalls in recent years of tainted pet-food ingredients, poisonous toothpaste and lead-based paint on toys, mainly from China.

Nelson said he urged President Barack Obama to raise the issue when he travels to China next month.

Scott Weinstein, an attorney for some of the homeowners who filed lawsuits against builders and manufacturers, said low housing prices have left many residents trapped in noxious dwellings. The drywall also corrodes wires and air conditioners, he said.

Banned Imports

U.S. safety officials said today that they have banned further imports, and notified warehouse owners with Chinese drywall not to sell their supply. As part of their $3.5 million investigation, federal and state officials will have a more detailed report next month on the possible health effects of chemicals in the drywall.

“These symptoms are consistent with what you would see with indoor air contaminants,” Dr. Michael McGeehin, director of the environmental hazards division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said on a conference call today. “I have no idea what specific chemical may be causing that.”

Lori Saltzman, director of the division of health sciences at CPSC, said “elevated levels” of sulfur emissions were found from Chinese drywall.

About 7 million sheets of drywall were imported from China in 2006, according to the consumer agency. There haven’t been any imports of Chinese drywall this year, CPSC spokesman Scott Wolfson said.

Monitored Homes

The CPSC examined the material in Chinese drywall and monitored the air in 10 homes. Investigators also traveled to China to analyze production.

The U.S. imported $273 billion of consumer products from China and Hong Kong last year, compared with $80 billion of imports in 1999.

The issue has opened a political fissure between the U.S. and China, as CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum warned her Chinese counterparts at a recent meeting that it could lead to a backlash in Congress. She also asked Chinese suppliers to pay compensation for the damage.

U.S. lawmakers have proposed legislation to make it easier to force overseas producers to respond to lawsuits about unsafe products, and are considering aid to the affected homeowners.

“The Chinese manufacturers have taken a lax attitude, because they feel immune from prosecution,” said Weinstein, a managing partner at Morgan & Morgan in Fort Myers, Florida.

The largest supply of Chinese drywall came from subsidiaries of the privately owned German company Knauf Gips KG, Weinstein said. Another major supplier is Beijing New Building Materials Plc, he said. The companies couldn’t be reached for comment after hours.