United States Senators Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Mary Landrieu (D-La.) filed legislation last week to recall and ban the use of Chinese drywall in the United States. As reported here, complaints about the smell and corrosive effects of drywall made in China have escalated in recent months, particularly in Florida.
Senate Resolution 91, the core part of the legislative package, instructs the Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) to recall all Chinese-made drywall. The resolution reports that, between 2006-2007, more than 550 million pounds of drywall and associated building materials were imported from China to the United States. Senators Nelson and Landrieu believe that 60 to 100 thousand homes nationwide might contain Chinese drywall. 300 million pounds – more than half of the total amount – was imported to Florida alone, enough to build approximately 36,000 homes.
Also part of the legislative package, Senate Bill 739, entitled the Drywall Safety Act, would require the CPSC to study drywall imported from China from 2004 through 2007 and investigate its reported hazards to property and human health.
Congressman Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) has introduced similar legislation in the House of Representatives calling for a study and a federal ban on Chinese drywall. Wexler has also asked Florida Governor Charlie Crist to declare a state of emergency in Florida, thereby making state residents eligible for federal funds to remove the drywall from and renovate their homes.
The text of Senate Resolution 91 can be found here.
The text of Senate Bill 739 can be found here.
See here for Senator Nelson’s news release on the legislation.
For more information on Congressman Wexler’s actions, see here.
