Reports of home damage linked to contaminated China-manufactured drywall have been grabbing headlines in recent weeks, and it looks like the problem could impact thousands of houses that were rebuilt in the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina.
An Associated Press story relates the plight of Thomas Stone and his family, who rebuilt their two-story Chalmette (La.) home after Katrina, only to discover that the cheaper China-manufactured drywall they installed throughout the house was contaminated with a chemical that ate through wiring, corroded jewelry and other valuables, and emitted a foul sulfur “rotten egg” smell in the home.
The bad news for rebuilt Katrina homes compounds a CBS News report from earlier this month, which estimated that 60,000 homes nationwide may contain tainted drywall, and pointed out that the only remedy is the removal of all bad drywall from the home (much easier said than done since it was likely used to form most walls in the house) and the replacement of any wiring and other materials that have been damaged.
The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that Lousiana Governor Bobby Jindal has asked the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help the state “conduct indoor air tests to determine whether the drywall emits gases that might pose a health hazard.”
- Associated Press: Tainted Chinese Drywall Shows Up in Katrina Homes
- CBS News: Is Your Drywall a Rotting Health Hazard?
- New Orleans Times-Picayune: Jindal Asks Feds for Drywall Help
- FindLaw’s Injured: Bad Drywall Causing Havoc for Homeowners
- Construction Defects and Toxic Mold (FindLaw)
- Health and Safety in the Home (FindLaw)
- Home Inspections (provided by Law Offices of H. Michael Soroy)
You Don’t Have To Solve This on Your Own – Get a Lawyer’s Help
Civil Rights
Block on Trump’s Asylum Ban Upheld by Supreme Court
Criminal
Judges Can Release Secret Grand Jury Records
Politicians Can’t Block Voters on Facebook, Court Rules
