Several U.S. senators are pushing federal agencies to step up their response to reported health problems in houses with drywall imported from China. Lawmakers have in hand a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency analysis showing that unlike the U.S.-made product, Chinese-made drywall contains sulfur and two other organic compounds that occur in acrylic paint. EPA’s study, released on May 19, also says Chinese drywall samples had 10 times the level of strontium found in U.S. wallboard.
The lawmakers used a May 21 hearing of the Senate consumer protection, product safety and insurance subcommittee to press officials from the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and EPA to move as rapidly as possible on deeper and broader follow-up drywall tests. They also are seeking ways to provide funds for those studies.