The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) has outed the manufacturers responsible for the defective Chinese drywall disaster. In a statement released yesterday, the commission revealed that wallboard produced by the following 10 manufacturers emitted the highest levels of hydrogen sulfide in testing conducted by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). • Knauf Plasterboard (Tianjin) Co. […]
The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) has outed the manufacturers responsible for the defective Chinese drywall disaster. In a statement released yesterday, the commission revealed that wallboard produced by the following 10 manufacturers emitted the highest levels of hydrogen sulfide in testing conducted by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL).
• Knauf Plasterboard (Tianjin) Co. Ltd.: (year of manufacture 2005) China
• Taian Taishan Plasterboard Co. Ltd.: (2006) China
• Shandong Taihe Dongxin Co.: (2005) China
• Knauf Plasterboard (Tianjin) Co. Ltd.: (2006) China
• Taian Taishan Plasterboard Co. Ltd.: (2006) China
• Taian Taishan Plasterboard Co. Ltd.: (2006) China
• Shandong Chenxiang GBM Co. Ltd. (C&K Gypsum Board): (2006) China
• Beijing New Building Materials (BNBM): (2009) China
• Taian Taishan Plasterboard Co. Ltd.: (2009) China
• Shandong Taihe Dongxin Co.: (2009) China
The CPSC listing includes the year of manufacture, and ranks firms from highest to lowest emissions. Some of the Chinese drywall had emission rates of hydrogen sulfide 100 times greater than non-Chinese drywall samples, the CPSC said. According to the commission, there is a strong association between hydrogen sulfide and metal corrosion.
Other Chinese drywall samples tested had low or no detectable emissions of hydrogen sulfide as did the drywall samples tested that were manufactured domestically.
The CPSC is turning up the pressure on the 10 Chinese manufacturers responsible for sending tainted drywall to the U.S. “Homeowners who have problem drywall in their homes are suffering greatly”, said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. “I appeal to these Chinese drywall companies to carefully examine their responsibilities to U.S. families who have been harmed and do what is fair and just”.
At the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue meetings in Beijing May 24-25, U.S. officials pressed the Chinese government to facilitate a meeting between the CPSC and the Chinese drywall companies whose products were used in U.S. homes, and which exhibit the emissions identified during the testing procedures. The Strategic and Economic Dialogue represents the highest-level bilateral forum to discuss a broad range of issues between the two nations, the CPSC said.
Since late 2008, the CPSC has received more than 3,000 reports from residents in 37 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico regarding defective Chinese drywall. Gases emitted from Chinese drywall are being blamed for significant property damage, including damage to HVAC systems, smoke detectors, electrical wiring, metal plumbing components, and other household appliances. These gases also produce a sulfurous odor that permeates homes, and cause metals, including air conditioning coils and even jewelry, to corrode. People living with Chinese drywall have also suffered eye, respiratory and sinus problems that may be linked to the gases.
Last month, the CPSC released the results of drywall emissions tests by LBNL. The studies showed a connection between certain Chinese drywall and corrosion in homes. In addition, the patterns of reactive sulfur compounds emitted from drywall samples show a clear distinction between certain Chinese drywall samples manufactured in 2005/2006 and other Chinese and non-Chinese drywall samples.