ProPublica: Companies were aware of tainted drywall but kept selling it

Consumer Reports News: June 22, 2010 12:56 PM

Emissions from drywall damaged this bath fixture.
Photo: CPSC

Compelling read about tainted drywall from the investigative journalists at ProPublica. In " More Companies Knew About Tainted Drywall but Stayed Quiet—and Kept Selling It," ProPublica's Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune's Aaron Kessler, report that "At least a half-dozen homebuilders, installers and environmental consultants knew as early as 2006 that foul smells were coming from drywall imported from China—but they didn't share their early concerns with the public, even when homeowners began complaining about the drywall in 2008."

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's studies of drywall emissions found a connection between certain Chinese drywall and corrosion in homes. The drywall with high emission levels was made in 2005 and 2006. Last month, the federal government recommended that homes with tainted Chinese drywall should be stripped down to the studs. The CPSC says it has spent more than $5 million investigating this drywall issues. Visit the CPSC's Drywall Information Center to stay on top of the news on drywall.

And if your home has defective drywall, let ProPublica know about your situation. For more on tainted drywall, read "Tainted Chinese Drywall Concerns Went Unreported for Two Years," also by Sapien and Kessler.

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ProPublica: Companies were aware of tainted drywall but kept selling it

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