Northshore Conifer posted on October 22, 2009 08:50
Senator Julie Quinn (R, Metairie) and Senator A.G. Crowe (R, Slidell) will host two additional town hall meetings to help answer consumer questions about the effects of Chinese drywall and learn what relief might be coming for those who have experienced damage from the toxic materials.
The Senators will conduct a meeting on Wednesday, October 21 from 6:00-8:00 P.M in the Northshore Harbor Center in Slidell. A meeting conducted last month in Mandeville on the Chinese drywall issue attracted more than 500 people, and led Quinn to travel to Washington, D.C. to ask Congress for relief.
Chinese drywall poured into Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Louisiana is among the states hardest hit by the Chinese drywall crisis. Last month, according to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, 184 Louisiana homeowners have filed complaints with the agency. The Wall Street Journal estimates that some 500 million pounds of Chinese drywall was imported to the U.S. That means as many as 100,000 homes throughout the country could have been built with the material.
Gases emitted from the 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.