Priorities
Scolding CPSC on Chinese drywall
Sep 22 2009
In May, Senator Warner urged the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to move quickly to investigate the alleged impact of Chinese-made drywall in several dozen homes in Hampton Roads. In June, he again emphasized the importance of conducting the investigation quickly.
Five months later, Senator Warner has yet to hear from the agency on even preliminary results of their investigation. This morning, he sent a letter to the chairman expressing his frustration with the agency's slow response.
In the letter, Senator Warner points out several deadlines that have not been met, including promised results from site visits and air sampling and engineering tests:
“This is not acceptable. My constituents… need these test results in a concise, easy-to-read manner so they will understand what lies ahead,” he added. “They need the results right away so they can move on with their lives.”
Residents in several states, including Virginia, Florida, and Louisiana, have complained that Chinese-made drywall in their homes emits a corrosive gas that causes respiratory problems for families and extensive damage to household wiring and electrical systems.
According to the Virginian-Pilot: "At least 150,000 sheets of Chinese-made drywall were imported by a local construction supplier. That’s enough to build more than 300 homes. The drywall since has been found in housing developments in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Newport News, Chesapeake, Williamsburg and northeastern North Carolina."
You can read Senator Warner's letter below:
RELATED LINKS:
