The Gypsum Files

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it has found no link between tainted Chinese drywall and the deaths of 11 people living in homes with the defective drywall in Louisiana, Florida and Virginia.

The CDC said in a report Monday that the people died without exception due to “preexisting chronic health conditions unrelated to imported drywall exposure.”

CDC Finds No Link Between Deaths, Chinese Drywall – ABC News.

Ninety-seven homeowners in four states have joined lawsuits against U.S. drywall manufacturers in the past year, claiming that their drywall is releasing enough sulfur gas to corrode wiring and appliances and cause headaches, nosebleeds, labored breathing and irritated eyes—complaints that until now have been mostly associated with Chinese drywall. Many families have abandoned their homes, fearing long-term health problems. Some are facing foreclosure, or even bankruptcy.

via American-Made Drywall Emerges as Potential Danger – ProPublica.

A fresh item from the Wall Street Journal:

A Florida court ruling relieves home builders of some liability in the ongoing dispute over the use of defective Chinese drywall, which thousands of homeowners say has driven down home values and caused health problems.

In the decision, entered Nov. 5th and made public Wednesday, Judge Glenn Kelley of the 15th Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County, Fla., said that because home builders did not manufacture the problematic drywall and were not within the chain of distribution, they could not be held “strictly liable” for the alleged defects. Legal observers say that the decision could set a template for other judges to use to adjudicate drywall cases across the country. (Read the decision)

Court Relieves Builders of Some Chinese Drywall Liability – Developments – WSJ.

Lowe’s Companies Inc. has dramatically increased the amount of money [1] it is prepared to offer customers whose health or homes were harmed by defective drywall they bought from its stores. Those customers are now eligible for up to $100,000 in cash, instead of the maximum $4,500 in cash and gift cards that was previously agreed upon in a class action lawsuit that is being negotiated in a Georgia state court.

via Lowe’s Amends Settlement to Get Drywall Victims More Money – ProPublica.

(AP) NEW ORLEANS — A federal judge in New Orleans has awarded seven Virginia families $2.6 million in damages to pay for the removal of sulfur-emitting drywall made in China that has been linked to corrosion and possible health effects.

via The Associated Press: Judge awards families $2.6M over Chinese drywall.

From the Consumer Product Safety Commission:

HUD and CPSC’s two-step guidance requires a visual inspection that must show blackening of copper electrical wiring and/or air conditioning evaporator coils; and the installation of new drywall (for new construction or renovations) between 2001 and 2008. To view the full text of this guidance, visit HUD’s website or CPSC’s website (both documents PDF).

The guidance also describes obtaining additional corroborating evidence of problem drywall, since it is possible that corrosion of metal in homes can occur for other reasons. For example, homes with new drywall installed between 2005 and 2008 … must meet at least two additional criteria related to: the chemical analysis of metal corrosion in the home; elemental markers in the drywall; markings on the drywall; or specific chemical emissions from the drywall. Homes with new drywall installed between 2001 and 2004 must meet a total of at least four of those criteria. Collecting evidence of these corroborating conditions may require professional assistance and analysis.

Be sure to check the timeline on the right side of this site for more gypsum-related events and news.

The big news today in the world of gypsum is the start of the class action lawsuit against drywall manufacturer Knauf Plasterboard Tainjin Co. Ltd. New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton has been named as the lead plaintiff in the suit, giving the case a sheen of celebrity. The full text of the complaint can be found here (pdf). It’s 591 pages long.

This week the media have picked up on a story launched by CBS News claiming that corrosive wallboard may come from domestic producers as well as from China. According to the AP:

Of roughly 2,100 complaints received by the commission, about 25 involve homeowners who reported issues with American wallboard, [Scott] Wolfson [of the Consumer Product Safety Commission] said. That is not enough data to make a determination.

A University of Florida study conducted for CBS News tested new samples of U.S. drywall, new samples of the Chinese material and Chinese wallboard from problem homes.

The scientists found that most of the new U.S. samples released sulfur fumes, but at a lower level than the Chinese product taken from homes. However, the study also found that some American product had higher emissions than some of the new Chinese material.

Also:
Drywall troubles spread to domestic

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has released the results of a 51-home study (pdf, 190pp) of the effects of corrosive drywall today. According to the executive summary (pdf), the study found “a strong association between the problem drywall, the hydrogen sulfide levels in homes with that drywall, and corrosion in those homes.” The interagency task force will continue its investigation into health effects of corrosive drywall.

The first trial in the combined litigation taking place in New Orleans will involve Virginia homeowners and a Chinese-owned company:

U.S. District Court Judge Eldon E. Fallon, who is overseeing the combined Chinese drywall litigation in New Orleans, said Thursday the first “bellwether” trial will take place Jan. 25 — barely 60 days from now.

In a shift from previous plans, the trial will involve seven Virginia homeowners whose homes were allegedly damaged by tainted drywall produced by Taishan Gypsum Co. Ltd., also known as Shandong Taihe Dongxin Co. Ltd. and Taian Taishan Plasterboard.

Taishan shipped drywall to Florida through Port Everglades and Tampa, and its product also was sent to other states, including Virginia, New York and California. The seven Virginia plaintiffs all used drywall imported by the same distributor, Norfolk-based Venture Supply.