Daily Real Estate News  |  October 9, 2009  |   Chinese Drywall Is a Growing U.S. Problem
Thousands of lawsuits by Americans complaining that drywall imported from China is causing them health problems are awaiting action in federal and state courts. A consolidated class action will be heard beginning in January.

“There could be 60,000 to 100,000 homes that are worthless and have to be ripped completely down and rebuilt,” said Arnold Levin, a Philadelphia lawyer and co-chairman of the plaintiffs’ steering committee.

Later in October, the Consumer Product Safety Commission will release the results of its study to determine what’s wrong with the drywall and what mediation programs might work.

Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin, a German company with manufacturing plants in China that supplied about 20 percent of the Chinese drywall said its own tests showed the drywall didn’t cause health problems. Some experts believe that the reason that drywall seems to be causing respiratory problems and headaches is because American homes are built tighter than those in Asia, where the drywall was also sold.

Source: The New York Times, Leslie Wayne (10/07/2009)