Florida senators seek Chinese drywall recall

Florida senators seek Chinese drywall recall

The Federal government should order a recall of potentially defective Chinese drywall and ban its importation until safety standards are established, two U.S. senators said Monday.

Sens. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and Mary Landrieu, D-La., filed a nonbinding resolution Monday urging the Consumer Product Safety Commission to issue the recall. The senators also filed a bill that would require the consumer agency to do a more thorough drywall investigation and consider establishing product-safety standards for drywall.

“This Chinese drywall represents an attack on our homeowners, a defrauding of our homebuilders and another obstacle on our road to recovery,” Landrieu said. “The Consumer Product Safety Commission should have been the first line of defense in preventing this inferior product from entering the U.S. market in the first place.” Homeowners in Manatee County, across Florida and in at least three other states have complained that Chinese-made drywall in their homes has emitted a "rotten eggs" odor, corroded metal jewelry and air-conditioning parts, and caused headaches, breathing difficulty and other health problems. Those complaints have prompted several lawsuits, as well as state and federal investigations.