U.S. Senate to hold hearings on Chinese drywall
By Aaron Kessler
May 14, 2009
The U.S. Senate is scheduled to hold its first hearing on the issue of tainted drywall, tied to extensive corrosion in hundreds of homes in Florida and elsewhere, and blamed by many homeowners for health problems.

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation formally announced Thursday morning that a hearing on tainted Chinese drywall will take place next week on Capitol Hill.

The hearing will be held Thursday at 10:30 a.m. by the committee’s Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Insurance.

Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, who has been outspoken regarding the issue of defective drywall, sits on the subcommittee, and his office has been working to arrange the hearing for several weeks. The subcommittee is chaired by Arkansas Democrat Mark Pryor.

Christopher Day, Nelson’s legislative counsel, said the witness list is being formulated, and that Nelson’s office is in contact with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Centers for Disease Control, and the Florida Department of Health regarding potential officials from some or all of those agencies who may be asked to participate.

Nelson also is trying to arrange for affected homeowners to testify. One of them is likely to be Kristin Culliton, a Lakewood Ranch homeowner that the Herald-Tribune reported on earlier this year. Her Taylor Morrison house in the Greenbrook neighborhood has experienced extensive corrosion and foul odors tied to Chinese drywall manufactured by Knauf Tianjin.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090514/BREAKING/905149957?Title=U-S-Senate-to-hold-hearings-on-Chinese-drywall-