Las Vegas, Nevada Toxic American/Chinese Drywall Problems

Lennar says they didn't use any imported drywall

2012-01-25T19:57:00.000-08:00

Lennar says they didn't use any imported drywall but that is not true. We have a Lennar Home built in 2004 when they were short of building supplies and raised the prices of upgrades during this period because of the "Shortage of Materials" they said and we have Mexican, Canadian and Unmarked or Blank Drywall in our home that tested positive for "Chinese or Toxic Drywall" by an independant 3rd party.

Agents are not disclosing Toxic or Chinese Drywall

2012-01-25T19:52:00.001-08:00

Agents are not disclosing that homes have toxic or chinese drywall because it would kill the sale. The home should be tested no matter what based on the widespread actions of the builders.

Ask you Agent or REALTOR!

CPSC continues to say there are no health effects of toxic drywall

2011-12-09T13:50:00.001-08:00

CPSC continues to say there are no health effects of toxic drywall

Why? You can test a toxic house all you want but until you live on one for six plus years you will never know how sick the house will make you and your family.

If you had allergies to sulfer or lung issues when you were a child the toxic air will affect you different than other people. In fact, each family will react different to the toxic air so how can the CPSC say that there are no health effects?

They should research each house independantly and review the medical records so they can head off the sick families living on the hundreds of thousands of homes with toxic drywall.

All we ask is that you listen to the families instead of sweeping us aside.

Do you have the symptoms of Toxic Drywall in Las Vegas?

2011-12-02T12:33:00.001-08:00

Do you have the symptoms of Toxic Drywall in Las Vegas?

Do you have constant sinus infections, red itchy eyes and headaches since moving into your home?

Does your home smell funny or have you had your home tested for a gas leak because you smelled rotten eggs?

Is your pet or children sick, irritated or show signs of a rash?

If your home was built between 2002 and 2007 you may have toxic dryall. This means get your home checked ASAP. We didn't know and lived in our home for over six years and have gotten progressively sick until finally we came across these symptoms and had our home tested by a professional.

Send us an email at toxicamericandrywall@gmail.com if you have a question. Here is the company who tested our home.

Bradley Kempthorne, CSI, RCI

Las Vegas Division Manager

Allana Buick & Bers Inc.

2810 W. Charleston Blvd. Suite 80

Las Vegas, NV 89102-1921
bkempthorne@abbae.com

(702) 437-3333 x 201 Office

(702) 528-2114 Cell

Many Hampton Roads families financially ruined by Chinese drywall

2011-10-10T07:19:00.000-07:00

Many Hampton Roads families financially ruined by Chinese drywall

Posted on the Daily Press a story that hits close to home because it is

also our story. http://www.dailypress.com Click above link to View Video

Why isn't Nevada getting any National Attention concerning Toxic Drywall?

2011-08-10T02:14:00.000-07:00

We have been interviewed by the CPSC and shut down mainly because there were more homes built during the Chinese Drywall timeline in Nevada than in Florida. People are sick here because we are living on a Non-Humid environment compared to Florida so we are not having early warning AC units going out but over time with these items failing it seems more like usage than anything else. We moved in and called the gas company and they cleared the house built in 2004.

Six years later we have been battling sinus infections, brain damage, migraines, brain damage, blindness in one eye, acute skin rashes that remained for four years + so much my wife is almost anti-biotic resistant + scarred then one day we found an article about Chinese drywall and had our home tested and it tested positive. In fact we have blanks in our home with little to no writing, some from Mexico, Canada, Georgia-Pacific, National Drywall and others that have no markings. Our blog shows the health damage as well and drywall but at the ages of 45 we are left with nothing except a uninhabitable house, inability to work, no insurance, imminent foreclosure which will lead the bank to resell without disclosure and no furniture or belongings because the CPSC told us everything was toxic. http://toxicdrywalllasvegas.blogspot.com/

We tried living in our garage where we thought it would minimize our exposure but we still have migraines and still throw up every morning after sleeping in our mini-van.

We need assistance from the media to put the spotlight on Nevada because we have been frozen out locally due to the power of the developers in the courts.

Who is to blame for the toxic drywall tsunami that hit Florida and will soon reach Nevada?

Manufacture - Yes, but they are a Chinese company so they are out of reach
Supply - Yes, they should know the difference between grey, pink or white gypsum drywall and ask questions after all that is there business.
Builders - Yes, when they were off loading the drywall - clearly the color wasn't consistent they should have refused the product BUT they were greedy and had to make deadlines in a hot market. There are five or more different types of drywall in our home with a range of colors and smells.

Who has been let off the hook leaving the homeowners who received a finished product?

- The Homeowners - hung out to dry with health problems with little to ZERO help from the government.
Why? Because the exposure the Suppliers and Builders would have could put them all out of business with the lawsuits and potentially cause the government to step in and Bail them out.

Who loses?

- The Homeowners - financial losses, bankruptcy, health issues, any nest egg, retirement plans and the loss of their primary residence leaving them homeless without possessions because all of their furniture has been condemned by the CPSC.

Golden Goose Article : Please read

2011-06-11T11:29:00.001-07:00

Great article written by someone who tracks the toxic chinese drywall process by phone on a continous basis.

http://blogs.tcpalm.com/dealing_with_chinese_drywall_blog/2011/06/the-golden-goose-1.html

how the lawyers are going to walk away winners and there is no mention of the homeowners.

HUD updates Chinese drywall remediation guidance

2011-05-11T11:51:00.000-07:00

HUD updates Chinese drywall remediation guidance

What about the families?

American-made drywall may also be problematic: CPSC

2011-05-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

American-made drywall may also be problematic: CPSC

Finally, they are coming out with some news but in the article it blames the chinese drywall.

Admin

Question CPSC - When will the toxins stop affecting our lives?

2011-04-28T04:56:00.000-07:00

The diaster in Florida and Louisana concerning the toxic drywall is horrific and the families should be compensated and don't forget those who where respondsible for putting into their homes to begin with.

When a company signs off on grey drywall when it arrives they have to know something is up?

The families we have spoken with on the east coast were in their homes from 6 months to 18 months with high humidity and a ton of household failures. They had headaches, migranes, sinus infections, rashes during that time so when they were FORCED to flee their homes how long does it take to get better if ever?

In Las Vegas, a dry enviroment we had sporatic electrical failures, AC issues and awful smells just like the East coasts folks but LIVED IN OUR HOME FOR SIX (6) YEARS. The doctors could not figure out what was wrong with us even when we found similarities to toxic drywall. We can't smell or if we do it is incredibly strong, migranes persist, bloody sinus infections continue, our blood tested at levels OSHA would cry foul.

The toxicologist found we were ingesting.exposed to 5000 times the limit of strontium than the average American. Six Years in a house that was literally KILLING us.

A question the CPSC isn't answering for us or the thousands of other families that have been exposed to toxins from their drywall. There is a big problem now and is growing. How long can they hold off assisting your average hard working American who has a house that isnt worth anything? How long?

So when you are out of the house for 30 days why do you start to feel better?

2011-03-17T22:23:00.000-07:00

So when you are out of the house for 30 days why do you start to feel better?

The builder "Lennar" is adamant that we do not have "Chinese" or "Toxic" drywall but will not release air quality report to us. In fact, they told the company who did the test not to talk to us or release any info and refused to comment on the report any further in writing. Just like it never happened.

But we are still sick. Every morning or at night our sense of smell is so screwed up and our sinus infections are so bad we would throw up. In the kitchen, walking towards the bedroom or sitting in the office working. We would start gagging, our throats would close then puke.

I really want to know if my wife's or my olfactory senses will every work again.

Builders' study of Chinese drywall criticized

2011-03-17T22:13:00.000-07:00

Check out this article by Aaron Kessler on The Herald Tribune

After ready the article and if you have a lab test specifically the way you tell them you will probably get the results you did during the previous test. So much for independant 3rd party testing companies.

What happens to the toxic houses when they are foreclosed on?

2011-03-13T16:26:00.000-07:00

Has anyone asked "What happens to the toxic houses when they are foreclosed on?"

The answer is yes, and there are groups fighting to get the banks to stopped patching the testing holes, painting and putting them on the market with NO DISCLOSURE. Most states don't require the banks to disclosure anything about the home because they did not live in it. They do a home inspection but do not make the info available to the prospective Buyers especially if it includes mold or toxic drywall.

As-Is is the phrase and you will sign a waiver or rights relieving the bank of any liability concerning the home moving forward. You buy it, you get sick, your problem.

In Nevada, the banks are not required to fill out a SRPD or a Sellers Real Property Disclosure and force Buyers to Waive their rights by Notarizing a NRS 113. When I say force, I mean if you want to buy the property you have to sign it. You can walk away so technically you are not forced to sign it but you are not allowed to any "destructive testing on the home" but can have a home inspector. Most home inspectors are not "Acredited Toxic Drywall" Experts. Getting the home tested will cost you more money but when you are considering a purchase in the hundreds of thousands is a $500 test out of the question?

If you are buying a house in foreclosure in Nevada that was built between 2002 - 2008 knowing what we know now have it tested..

I read in a recent on drywallfacts.com by National Gypsum...

2011-03-08T13:21:00.000-08:00

I read in a recent on drywallfacts.com by National Gypsum about decay rates and the higher the humidity the faster these toxins disappear.   What if you have 10% or 15% humidity not 50% or 90% humidity like Florida does?

Where does that leave homeowners in Las Vegas during the summer when it is 115 degrees outside, dry and baking the drywall inside the ceiling board where our Georgia Pacific ToughRock is located or our wall board made by National Gypsum that tested positive.    What about the decay rates?

No humidity, we had sporadic electrical failures over six years, lighting issues and other wiring related issues and we got sicker and sicker leaving doctors baffled.   Undiagnosed Hives for 5 years?    Lost your voice, growths on your vocal cords, surgery, massive sinus infections, bloody noses day after day.   Gold turning your fingers black mid air as well as your ears.... soot like.

Decay rates.... CPSC isn't going to to pursue any more health studies concerning toxic drywall because there are no health related effects.   Are you kidding me?

A expert that has been testing homes in Las Vegas, NV for the past two years said that 70% of all homes are testing positive. That will topple any numbers Florida is putting out if those peoples claims are taken seriously and the builders are put on notice.   There were more new homes built in Las Vegas during the shortage years and they did bring in a lot of materials in.   The builders do have allot of clout in Las Vegas and in the court system. Attorneys will not take on cases against builders or banks just because they won't take on cases they know they can't win.

Potential Short Term Solution for People who Cannot Move from their Toxic House

2011-02-25T21:22:00.000-08:00

Potential Short Term Solution for People who Cannot Move from their Toxic House

Found this company in Florida who claims to have a solution to rid homes of the toxins put off by the drywall making the home livable. Check them out. We have not used them but found it interesting based on families we know who cannot leave their homes due to children or other matters.

Since most home owners insurance companies are denying claims both on the home and it's contents leaving the occupants out in the cold if there is a solution to live in the home without getting sicker - it seems like a good idea.

http://www.risssystem.com/

Where is the CPSC in Las Vegas, NV?

2011-01-26T11:13:00.000-08:00

We filed their online form multiple times to no avail. By a random event we were able to contact someone high enough to reach out to a local investigator.

We had an appointment, submitted our paperwork and he submitted it to the powers that be. That was months ago.

We have not heard when or if they are coming out to test our home. We have submitted our 3rd party tests but in almost all of the maps that I have seen where toxic sheetrock is shown to have been found Nevada is blank. 40,000 homes were built a year plus since 2002 all the way to 2007... materials were short.

The problem is developers and builders have so much power in Nevada they are keeping an air-tight lid on any compliaint concerning chinese or and especially American Toxic Drywall.

Admin

American-Made Drywall Emerges as Potential Danger

2010-12-15T21:34:00.001-08:00

American-Made Drywall Emerges as Potential Danger

by Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, and Aaron Kessler, Sarasota Herald-Tribune Dec. 15, 2010, 8:02 p.m.
Two years after thousands of Americans learned that defective Chinese drywall had contaminated their houses, a new group of homeowners say they are experiencing similar problems2014but their homes are built with drywall made in the United States.
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 eyes2014complaints 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.
Are you dealing with tainted drywall? Is it causing health problems, or damage to your home? If so, we at ProPublica want to hear your story

Plaintiffs in the largest lawsuit, which involves 93 Florida homes, blame the problem on drywall made by National Gypsum, one of the nation2019s largest drywall manufacturers. Separate cases have been filed against National Gypsum in Arizona and Alabama.
Two other lawsuits, each involving a single homeowner, have also been filed. One, in South Dakota, is against U.S. Gypsum. The other, filed by a Florida couple against Georgia Pacific, has been settled out of court.
All the manufacturers deny that anything is wrong with their products.
Lawsuits represent one side of a legal dispute, and none of the American drywall cases have come to trial. But court records show that many of the plaintiffs have test results from independent laboratories that show high levels of sulfur gas coming from the walls of their homes.
The plaintiffs2019 attorneys say in court documents that the outgassing may somehow be connected to synthetic gypsum, a form of coal ash produced by the scrubbing process that removes sulfur dioxide from the emissions of coal-fired power plants. Nearly half of American drywall is now made with this synthetic product, known as flue gas desulfurized gypsum or FGD gypsum.
Despite its increasing popularity, synthetic gypsum isn2019t regulated by the federal government. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency supports the reuse of FGD gypsum because it protects the air, recycles waste that would otherwise go to a landfill and creates useful products.
The industry has voluntary standards for drywall, but they apply only to fire resistance and strength. Michael Gardner, executive director of the Gypsum Association, a trade group that represents the drywall industry, said additional oversight is unnecessary.
201CThere has never been a problem with the use of FGD gypsum wallboard since its inception,201D Gardner said.
At least one of the lawsuits also points to another possible cause: that the defective drywall was made with scrap from recycled drywall2014perhaps Chinese drywall.
In September, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission commissioned a study of a small group of homes with problematic American drywall, similar to the study it completed last year of homes with Chinese board. But figuring out what is causing the problems 2014 and who should pay to fix them 2014 is likely to be a long and laborious process. After two years of studying Chinese drywall, the agency still hasn2019t figured out what caused it to release sulfur gases, and the homeowners2019 lawsuits are still mired in the courts.
The CPSC2019s main theory in the Chinese drywall cases is that one or several of the mines that supplied the manufacturers with natural gypsum contained a high concentration of sulfur. But CPSC inspectors say it2019s also possible that some of the defective Chinese drywall was produced with synthetic gypsum from Chinese power plants.
For homeowners who believe their houses have been contaminated by U.S.-made drywall, the scientific question of what is causing the problem is overshadowed by the more immediate question of how they will survive the financial disaster they now face. The CPSC2019s preliminary guidelines for remediating homes made with defective drywall say all the drywall and electrical wiring should be replaced, an undertaking that can cost $100,000 or more.
201CI felt totally and completely alone when we found out we had American drywall,201D said Julie Mraz, whose small Florida home was built with National Gypsum drywall. 201CI thought, oh my God, now what? I hadn2019t heard of anyone having problems with it.201D
Mraz and her husband both have severe health problems, and the house was built to accommodate Joseph Mraz2019s wheelchair. Soon after they moved in, however, they noticed a strong sulfuric smell and the coils on their air conditioner corroded2014a telltale sign of defective drywall. Joseph Mraz2019s childhood asthma returned for the first time in the Mraz2019s 29-year marriage. When his breathing became so labored that he had to be hospitalized, the couple2019s doctors urged them to move out of the house. They are now renting an apartment, and Julie Mraz said her husband2019s breathing problems have improved.
Freefall to foreclosure
John and Katherine Kallas, who built their dream home in Lehigh Acres, Fla., in 2005, are among more than a dozen people ProPublica and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune interviewed who say that defective American drywall has upended their lives.
In October 2005, the Kallases began paying a $180,000 mortgage on a home they had built on a lot they purchased for $40,000. About a year after they moved in, the hallmark signs of defective drywall began to appear.
They suffered constricted breathing, headaches and other health problems. Their dishwasher broke down, then their refrigerator. The air-conditioner failed soon after its coils corroded.
201CA bunch of jewelry kept turning black. I kept cleaning it and it kept turning black. I lost three TVs. My computer crashed. I bought a brand new one, and then that one crashed too,201D Katherine Kallas said.
When a relative called in December 2008 and asked if the Kallases had heard about the Chinese drywall problem, the family became even more confused.
John Kallas immediately climbed into the attic to see if he could find any Chinese trademarks on their drywall. Instead, he found markings for National Gypsum and U.S. Gypsum.
The Kallases hired Miami-based attorney, David Durkee, who was recruiting Chinese-drywall victims in Lee County, which has had more drywall problems than any other county in Florida. They also sought tax relief from the Lee County property appraiser2019s office, which lowered the assessed value of their three-bedroom home.
In 2009 the Kallases2019 builder sent an inspector to examine the house. They soon received a letter confirming their fears.
201CTest results confirmed the presence of the effects from sulfide gases and the presence of drywall releasing these gases,201D the company said in the letter.
Builder K. Hovnanian offered to repair the Kallases2019 home by removing all the wiring and drywall and then ventilating the house for 14 days before installing new drywall and wiring.
But the Consumer Product Safety Commission hadn2019t yet released its remediation protocol, and the Kallases worried that the builder2019s plan might be inadequate. They rejected the offer and in February 2010 moved into a rented house.
Katherine Kallas said their attorney 201Cjust kind of blew us off from there.201D When she called Durkee to ask about her case, she said she got updates on the progress of the Chinese drywall litigation.
201CI2019d have to remind him that I have American drywall, but he doesn2019t seem interested in going after our manufacturer,201D she said.
Durkee told ProPublica and the Herald-Tribune that he isn2019t suing National Gypsum or U.S. Gypsum because he is confident he can persuade the Kallases2019 builder and drywall distributor to compensate them for their losses.
The Kallases couldn2019t afford to pay both their rent and their mortgage, so they stopped paying the mortgage. Eventually they received a foreclosure notice from their lender, Wells Fargo. Their home is scheduled to be auctioned later this month.
201CThis is an unfortunate situation and a reminder to all homebuyers that it is important to know everything possible about the materials used in a home before it is purchased,201D said a Wells Fargo executive in an e-mail to ProPublica and the Herald-Tribune. 201CWe sincerely hope the Kallases are successful in their efforts to resolve their differences with the home builder.201D
The Kallases now worry that Wells Fargo will force them to pay the difference between what they owed on the house and what it will eventually sell for, which would force them to declare bankruptcy.
201CIt2019s terrible. It2019s very upsetting. We thought we were responsible homeowners. We had never missed a mortgage payment before,201D Katherine Kallas said.
Company says it has science on its side

In Alva, Fla., about a dozen miles from the Kallases, George and Brenda Brincku were trying to figure out what was wrong with the 3,160-square-foot home they had built for themselves and their three children.
Between 2006 and 2009, the Brinckus replaced the coils on their air-conditioning units seven times. At one point they demanded that the president of the company that made the air-conditioners visit their home and explain why his product kept breaking down.
Other appliances faltered, too. Two laundry washers, one microwave, two computer printers, smoke alarms, lamps, answering machines, flashlights, cell phones and fans.
They also had health problems. Someone always seemed to be coughing, and nearly everyone had severely irritated eyes. The Brinckus2019 then-20-year old daughter, Ashley, had frequent bouts of dizziness and once fainted in her room.
After Chinese drywall began making headlines, George Brincku crawled into the attic to check for signs of corrosion. When he emerged he said he was nauseated for three days and began having frequent nosebleeds.
The Brinckus contacted the Florida Department of Health, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, their homeowner2019s insurance company and their builder2019s insurance company. Each time they were told that their house was exhibiting the signs of corrosion that are normally linked to Chinese drywall. But they couldn2019t find any Chinese insignias on their board.
The Brinckus eventually learned that most of their drywall was manufactured by National Gypsum, which told them it came from the company2019s Apollo Beach drywall plant, about 130 miles north near Tampa. Some of the drywall was also made by U.S. Gypsum, but the Brinckus said test results later showed that the U.S. Gypsum board was not outgassing.
In March 2009, National Gypsum sent 11 people to inspect the Brincku home. The team stayed for a week, removing dozens of pieces of drywall and taking samples of their water. The Brinckus prepared lunch for them almost every day.
201CIt seemed like they were trying to cut as many samples out of the house as they could to see if they could find some Chinese board,201D George Brincku said, while taking a reporter through the now vacant home. 201CBy the time they were done the house looked like Swiss cheese.201D
The Brincku case began attracting national attention when CBS News asked the University of Florida to test samples of defective drywall, including samples from the Brinckus2019 home. Timothy Townsend, the environmental engineering professor whose team conducted the tests, said some of the Brinckus2019 samples released an unusually high amount of sulfur gas. Townsend also tested several pieces of newly purchased American board and found that some released more sulfur than new Chinese drywall that CBS bought in China.
When CBS showed National Gypsum the University of Florida findings, spokeswoman Nancy Spurlock said the company had commissioned its own tests, from Packer Engineering, which showed that its drywall didn2019t produce enough sulfur gases to cause corrosion.
201CWe have science on our side now,201D Spurlock said in a transcribed interview with correspondent Armen Keteyian that CBS News provided to ProPublica and the Herald-Tribune. 201CWe believe that there2019s no scientific evidence to show that our wallboard, or any domestic wallboard that we know of causes the same problems as corrosive drywall.201D
But two later tests of the Brinckus2019 drywall, conducted by environmental engineering firms, backed up the University of Florida results.
According to Rimkus Engineering, which was hired by the Brinckus2019 insurance company, one sample released carbon disulfide at a concentration of 880 parts per billion. A commercially purchased piece of drywall that Rimkus used as a baseline released less than 50 parts per billion.
The other test was done pro-bono by Materials Analytical Services, which was developing a drywall inspection method. It found that one piece of board from the Brincku home released 120 parts per billion.
Both companies also found that some pieces of drywall in the Brincku house weren2019t outgassing much at all, which wasn2019t surprising given that many homes are built with several brands of drywall.
In a recent interview with ProPublica and the Herald-Tribune, Spurlock said National Gypsum still stands by its claim that its drywall isn2019t outgassing sulfur at levels that can cause corrosion. She suggested instead that corrosion found in homes built with National Gypsum might be caused by sulfuric water, which is common in Florida.
But according to copies of the Packer Engineering tests obtained by ProPublica and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, none of the 21 water samples Packer took from the Brincku home had high amounts of sulfur.
The Brinckus2019 case against National Gypsum has been put on hold by Miami-based federal Judge Jose Martinez, who has determined that a similar lawsuit filed against National Gypsum in Arizona should be heard first.
Meanwhile, the Brinckus are trying to avoid foreclosure. Last week they got some good news: Their lender, Fannie Mae, agreed to defer their loan payments until April 30.
Questions about coal ash
According to court documents filed by the Brinckus2019 attorneys, 93 families now claim that drywall from National Gypsum2019s Apollo Beach drywall plant is causing the problems in their homes.
The lawsuit alleges that the FGD gypsum in the drywall has something to do with the outgassing. It also says that some recycled scrap drywall, perhaps Chinese drywall, may have been mixed in with the FGD gypsum. But Spurlock, the company spokeswoman, said the Apollo Beach plant doesn2019t use recycled drywall.
Apollo Beach uses FGD gypsum provided by Big Bend, a nearby coal-fired power plant operated by TECO Energy, a South Florida electric utility company. TECO didn2019t return calls for comment on this story, but its website says its FGD gypsum is also used in concrete and fertilizer.
Although the federal government does not regulate drywall, the EPA has spent the last two years drafting rules on the ash produced by coal-fired power plants, which forms the synthetic gypsum used in drywall.
According to the EPA, several kinds of coal ash are produced when coal is burned to generate energy. Some types are potentially hazardous, including the toxic sludge that in 2008 spilled into a Tennessee community from a 1.1 billion gallon waste pond.
Other types of coal ash, including FGD gypsum, are considered relatively harmless.
A draft of the EPA2019s proposed rule includes tighter regulations for the disposal of some forms of coal ash, but would exempt FGD gypsum. The draft said that the coal ash used in building products and fertilizer 201Ccan be beneficially reused201D and 201Cno documented cases of damage to human health or the environment have been identified.201D
But the proposed rule notes that the EPA didn2019t conduct specific risk assessments for the use of coal ash in building materials and acknowledges that the ash could become problematic if improved scrubbing technologies remove more contaminants from the air. Most of the EPA2019s past research into the reuse of gypsum has been done in conjunction with the gypsum industry, through its Coal Combustion Products Partnership.
National Gypsum and the Gypsum Association have hired teams of lobbyists to try to shape the EPA2019s new rules. Spurlock said the manufacturers fear that labeling any form of coal ash hazardous will create a 201Cnegative stigma201D about FGD gypsum and that customers will be afraid to buy drywall made from it.
201CIn their mind, it2019s still hazardous so there is potential liability there. Anyone can sue for anything,201D Spurlock said.
Currently, the only standards that apply to drywall are voluntary guidelines for strength and fire resistance set by a committee comprised mostly of drywall manufacturers and builders. The committee is part of the American Society for Testing and Materials, an industry association that develops voluntary standards for a wide variety of products.
Thomas O2019Toole, staff manager for the ASTM2019s drywall committee, said no standards have been set for sulfur outgassing because 201Cit was never a problem before. It wasn2019t brought to our attention until 2008.201D
That could change, however.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission recently began talking with the committee about developing standards that would help prevent future outgassing problems. Michael Gardner, executive director of the Gypsum Association said his organization will be closely involved in those discussions.
Corrosion in the desert
Among the many mysteries surrounding the American drywall problem is the one that is unfolding just outside Palm Springs, Calif., in the town of Indio.
In the last year, two homeowners have abandoned their modest tract homes because they say their U.S.-made drywall was releasing so much sulfur gas that it made their eyes burn, caused bloody noses and constricted their breathing.
The prevailing theory about defective drywall, Chinese or American, is that it affects only homes in hot, humid regions because the combination of heat and humidity exacerbates the release of the sulfur gases. But Indio is in the California desert, where rain is rare and humidity practically nonexistent. And while the families have complained of health problems, their homes show few signs of corrosion, aside from some discoloration on metal fixtures.
Preliminary tests that the families had done by Assured Bio, an environmental engineering firm, and provided to ProPublica and the Herald Tribune show that their drywall is releasing sulfur gas at levels similar to those being released by Chinese drywall.
The president of Assured Bio, Dr. Edward Sobek, said that while the tests raised concerns, another round of more sophisticated analysis needs to be done to determine whether the board corrodes metal.
Those tests can cost hundreds of dollars and usually aren2019t done unless a homeowner is planning to sue.
But the Palm Springs families have had so much trouble finding lawyers that they2019ve given up on that idea.
201CEveryone was hot to trot on the Chinese drywall, but attorneys don2019t seem to want to have anything to do with American drywall cases,201D said Kanda Simon.
She and her husband abandoned their retirement home this year. In August they got a foreclosure notice.
201CI2019m mad. I2019m angry. I think it2019s all very unfair, but I just don2019t have the fight in me,201D Simon said.
Simon said she and her husband didn2019t complain to their builder, Miami-based Lennar Corp., because their neighbor Robin Ely had such a difficult time dealing with the company.
Ely, who has Parkinson2019s disease, said she noticed a chemical smell in her home a few months after she moved in. When she complained to Lennar, she said she was told there couldn2019t possibly be anything wrong with her house, because it was built with American drywall.
Lennar is already remediating homes it built in Florida with defective Chinese drywall. A spokesman told ProPublica and the Herald-Tribune that the company tested the Indio homes and 201Cfound no evidence of similar characteristics or concerns.201D
Ely said Lennar did a visual inspection of her home in 2009, looking for obvious signs of corrosion. She later received a letter saying 201Cwe are pleased to report that our thorough inspection of your Home has confirmed that there is no indication that the drywall in your Home is defective.201D
Lennar later hired an environmental engineering firm to test Ely2019s drywall, and Lennar told Ely the firm concluded that it wasn2019t problematic. Lennar wouldn2019t share its test results with Ely or ProPublica and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Ely tried to get legal help from a San Diego-based firm, Fuller Jenkins.
At first, she said the firm was helpful and offered to inspect her home. But when they discovered that her board was made in the United States and not China, Ely said they lost interest.
Craig Fuller, a partner with Fuller Jenkins, told ProPublica and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune that he 201Ccan2019t comment on the case at this time201D because his firm is still actively investigating and hasn2019t filed a lawsuit yet.
When asked if she was trying to find help elsewhere, Ely said, 201CI want to, but I2019m just so overwhelmed. I just can2019t even deal with it.201D
In July Ely moved into a rented apartment in Tennessee. She is trying to persuade her bank to defer the payments on her Palm Springs home, which is now scheduled for foreclosure on December 23rd.

Toxic American Drywall in Las Vegas (Please Sign Petiton)

2010-12-02T16:43:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to the petition to Stop Toxic Imports. Please forward to all of your family and friends. We need to get as many signatures as we possibly can. It only takes two seconds. If you click on Signatures at the top of the link you can see what other wrote."Petition to U.S. Government Officials"

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/keep_toxic_products_out/

How sick do we have to be for them to notice that maybe the health effects ARE CONNECTED

2010-11-19T15:07:00.000-08:00

When are they going to buck up and make the connection between the toxic drywall and the health effects. In Florida, the humidity caused failures in AC units and odds smells to show within months or less than a year where in Las Vegas where there is almost zero humidity we had a total different set of failures and mor...e health problems that our doctors could not diagnose. The CPSC, EPA, and State Health Departments the scope of states that have people sick.

Drywall Identified - National Gypsum

2010-11-14T19:13:00.000-08:00

We have National Gypsum - the grey sheet rock you see is made by National Gypsum

What are we doing?

2010-10-14T21:05:00.000-07:00

What are we doing?

We are contacting our local representatives, Governor, Congressman, and Senator as well as the President.

We are contacting all local and national media outlets converging on articles about American Drywall Issues.

We are joining and are a part of many Drywall Groups networking across the United States sharing information with other affected families.

We are consulting with legal consul and will make it our personal mission to follow through against all obstacles.

Keeping Nevada Out of the Toxic Drywall Mix

2010-10-05T11:12:00.000-07:00

Lennar has opening admitted to using Chinese Drywall and is remedating homeowners homes in Florida but not in Nevada.

The difference is our drywall is American based on the markings. We did find other markings in Spanish AND some drywall with limited to no markings. American drywall isn't supposed to have Strontium in it but ours does in high levels. Levels so high we had our blood tested. So what is the truth does American drywall made by Georgia

Pacific, American Gypsum have Strontium? Is the imported drywall we have actually made by a American company just in a plant in Mexico?

Next week we will be descended on by attorneys, media and other forms of communication to get the word out to other families in Las Vegas. There is Toxic Drywall in Las Vegas and Lennar is one of the builders who used it in our home.

Seriously Pissed Off Homeowner in Las Vegas.

Another Video of Toxic American Drywall House in Las Vegas, NV

2010-10-01T21:47:00.001-07:00

Another video of our toxic house

Toxic Drywall Tsumani Coming to the Desert States - The Builders will be Crushed!

2010-09-29T11:47:00.000-07:00

In Florida, the Governor reassessed homes with toxic drywall to be valued at zero because it cannot be used as intended. With over 100 homes tested in Las Vegas, NV and 70% of them coming back positive the setting the stage.

In Nevada, our builder Lennar is denying there is toxic drywall even though we showed them test results, showed them pictures, gave them medical records and sent them detailed letters. They responded with a letter ending with I hope we resolved all of your issues.

What Lennar doesn't seem to understand is we will not stop, we will go to the media, we have contacted our local representatives all the way up to the White House. When the dust settles their cover up will be exposed because we will not go away or fade away. We will do more press, get louder until we are heard.

When your home is toxic, you have lost your business, all of your belongings have been deemed toxic and both your wife and yourself have been sick for over five years there is nothing left to lose. My Grandfather told me one time you don't want to fight someone who has nothing to lose in an attempt to keep me from going into dangerous parts of the city. I understand what he meant now that I am one. I know now how someone who has nothing to lose feels.

For some reason, Lennar is dealing with the homes in Florida who have toxic Chinese drywall but refuse to listen to us about our American Drywall. What is the reason? We believe we are being discriminated against because they are assisting homeowners in Florida and Louisiana but NOT Nevada.

Thank you

Jason McClellan

There is Toxic American Drywall in Las Vegas - We know because we are sick

2010-09-27T14:04:00.001-07:00