Whoa!  Didn’t see that one coming…

Since plaster as a building material of choice evolved (or devolved) into drywall, all drywall used in construction in this country has been manufactured in the good ol’ US of A, and that was the case up to 2005.  It is since then that federal regulators studying health problems associated with imported Chinese drywall say they have received reports of such problems in 24 states from Florida to California .

This story began in Florida where it primarily involved homes built or renovated in 2005 and 2006, when a building boom and post-hurricane reconstruction caused a U.S. drywall shortage that spurred builders to turn to imports.

Complaints and lawsuits allege that Chinese drywall, also known as sheetrock and wallboard, emits toxic vapors and chemicals that cause corrosion in electrical wiring, heating and air conditioning systems, refrigerators, plumbing components, faucets, lighting fixtures and household appliances such as microwaves.

Attorneys have said that Chinese drywall is dangerous because it was made with fly ash – waste material from scrubbers on coal-fired power plants – and the drywall emits sulfur compounds including sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide and the Consumer Product Safety Commission has fielded complaints that the results for humans include allergic reactions, coughing, sinus and throat infections, nose bleeds, eye irritation, respiratory problems and other health issues.

A CNN news affiliate WFTS–TV reported Dick and Nancy Nelson, who bought a new-build Florida retirement home in 2006 say the home has Chinese-manufactured drywall and contend all their appliances with copper are failing.  "The washing machine, the dryer, the microwave, a refrigerator – these are all brand-new appliances, and they're breaking down," Nancy Nelson of Palmetto told the Tampa station. The Nelsons are among those who have complained to the state health department.

According to CNN, Michael Foreman, head of construction consulting firm Foreman & Associates in Sarasota , Florida , said he's been investigating drywall complaints in that state since last year.  Based on shipping records, Foreman estimates the United States in 2006 and the first two months of 2007 imported enough drywall from Chinese manufacturers to produce at least 50,000 homes at a size of 2,000 square feet each.

Isn’t this whole situation combined with safety problems with other Chinese exports ranging from toys to pet food, as well as the current tenuous condition of our economy just one more good reason to look for the label and buy products manufactured in the USA ?  

September 2009