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Mary Ann Schultheis shows the black residue that has formed on the copper AC coils in her home. (Linda Li/The Epoch Times)
NEW YORK—Residents fleeing their homes because of tainted Chinese drywall will get help if legislation passed by the House of Representatives last Thursday is put into law.
Many residents, chiefly in Florida, are leaving their homes after experiencing multiple health issues. Typical symptoms associated with the Chinese drywall include bleeding noses, sinus trouble, fatigue, headaches, asthma, and bronchitis. All are thought to be caused by toxic sulfur gases emitting from the drywall.
Mr. Schultheis stands next to the blackened coils of an air conditioning unit in his Parkland, Fla., home. (Linda Li/The Epoch Times)
Affected houses often smell like rotten eggs, metal in the homes is turning black, and appliances are failing.
"Parents who have found Chinese drywall in their homes and wish to leave out of concern for the safety and health of their children are facing the dilemma of how to find secondary housing and maintain their mortgages on their primary residences," said Congressman Robert Wexler, D-Boca Raton. "In addition, the values of these homes in most cases have plummeted due to this tainted drywall."
Congressman Wexler and Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) introduced the legislation that was passed by a vote of 300 to 114. The bill now goes to the Senate.
The legislation would add a measure to the mortgage reform bill that will require the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to examine the effect of Chinese drywall on foreclosures.
Thousands of homes are thought to be affected by the Chinese drywall, which was mainly imported between 2004 and 2007, during the housing boom and hurricane rebuild.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is working with other government organizations to investigate the issue, but no results have been made available yet. The congressmen also seek $2 million of emergency money for the CPSC to further investigate.
“It is critical that we address this problem as soon as possible to avoid devastating results in our communities and long-term effects on the health and well-being of our families,” said Congressman Diaz-Balart in a letter sent to the CPSC and Environmental Protection Agency, adding that thousands of homeowners were affected.
The amendment also requires these agencies to study the availability of property insurance for homes where Chinese drywall is present.
