posey.house.gov
Washington,
December 2, 2009
-
The House of Representatives today passed a resolution cosponsored by Congressman Bill Posey (R-Rockledge) to encourage banks and mortgage service providers to work with families affected by contaminated drywall and to allow temporary forbearance without penalty on payments on their home mortgages. The resolution is nonbinding but serves to raise awareness to the unfortunate situation that has affected some homeowners in recent years.
“This is a small but important step in the direction of resolving this problem,” said Posey who recently toured several homes in Indian River County that have been affected by contaminated Chinese drywall. “My heart goes out to the many families who have found that their dream homes were unknowingly built with toxic drywall and in some cases are now inhabitable.”
In 2008 it was discovered that certain brands of drywall imported from China were contaminated with sulfuric compounds that can possibly lead to health problems and cause corrosion in materials like copper air conditioning compressor coils, electrical wires, fire and carbon monoxide alarms, and brass fittings used in natural gas furnaces and other electrical appliances.
There are several brands of drywall which have been in use in the U.S. since 2004 that are considered to be harmful; and a number of housing developments in Indian River County have reported problems. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has been conducting tests on homes located in Florida, Louisiana, Virginia, and Alabama to better diagnose the health and corrosion issues encountered by homeowners with the affected drywall. “The Commission needs to speed-up its efforts in examining the health effects so homeowners are not left wondering what to do next,” added Posey.