The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
Colleen Nguyen and her husband own a spacious, 4,000-square-foot brick home in the Little Neck area. But they and their three children live in an RV parked in the driveway.
They've lived there for four weeks, after a doctor recommended they leave their home because of health problems they believe were caused by Chinese-made drywall.
The children's nose bleeds have stopped, Nguyen said. And her 11-year-old daughter's strep throat has finally healed.
Now they're trying to figure out what to do next.
"I have to tell my children they can't go back in their house again," she said. "They want their stuffed animals, and I can't give them to them because no one can tell me if it's safe."
Homeowners in several states have filed complaints about the drywall, saying it emits a corrosive gas that causes breathing problems and damages electrical systems.
Nguyen said she knows of at least 60 affected homeowners in Hampton Roads. Several lawsuits have been filed in Virginia Beach and Norfolk.
"I feel like time is running out," Nguyen said. "We don't know what the next step should be for our families because we can't afford the next step. No one can afford to pay for the house, pay rent and pay to fix the house at the same time."
In an effort to find help, Nguyen invited U.S. Rep. Glenn Nye, D-Norfolk, to tour her home Saturday, pointing out eroded electrical outlets and the home's acidic odor. Afterward, Nye met with other affected homeowners at a nearby church. Members of the media were not allowed to attend.
Nye promised to work to bar imports of toxic drywall and find relief for the Nguyen s and families like them.
"Obviously it's a serious problem when you can't live in your home," he said. "This is a problem we've got to get on top of."
Nguyen said she was glad that their plight was getting some attention, but doesn't know if help can come quickly enough.
"The government needs to decide who's responsible," she said. "We do not have the means to wait five to 10 years for the lawsuit."
Kathy Adams, (757) 222-5155, kathy.adams@pilotonline.com
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Oh EvanJ and For ALL of those that needed PROOF
For all of you that wanted to call all of this '"MEDIA HYPE" and "CASH GRABBING" I hope the news released from the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) confirms what the homeowners of these homes have being SCREAMING for months now!
Here is the ap article:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CHINESE_DRYWALL?SITE=FLPEJ&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Now you see why we are so worried for our families and lives. SHAME on all those that said we were cash grabbers! I hope you can look at yourself in the mirror each day with SHAME!
I remember all of the smugness and horrible words that have been said about all of us homeowners today as I take my children to see the pulmonologist due to the breathing problems they both have....two healthy children two years ago!
Thank you Virginia Pilot for sharing our stories and for the precise stories that you have written!
Maybe you should read
Maybe you should read this:
http://www.cpsc.gov/drywall.pdf
chinese drywall
what about foodstuffs from china? A visit to wal-mart for canned mushrooms showed me that all were from china, even the brand labelled "pennsylvania dutch!" only one brand of shredded cheese claimed to be a product of the usa, and that was Borden. Kraft cheese claims on their package that they are "crafted in the usa" which doesn't tell us where the actual cheese is from. Other brands claim they are "distributed by" companies in the US, but that doesn't tell us where the original ingredients are from. A call to each individual company might help, but if they aren't required by law to disclose their specific imports, it won't help. A google search of "boycott Chinese products" did not yield any hits later than late 2007. Does anybody know about laws regarding food ingredients from china or any general boycotts of chinese products?
wrong again
EvanJ,
If you are a scientist and you are so adamant about this all being a media hype why don't you prove the over 35,000 homeowners affected by this wrong? Trust me I would love to find out my home was safe BUT the damage to my home has been done the corrosion is there it is everywhere, electrical, hvac, plumbling and fixtures. Is it an optical illusion? No, it is there you can see it, feel it...... Not to mention the fact that my family that was healthy two years ago is constantly sick...... again tell me why, you seem to know all the answes. So oh wonderful scientist figure it out instead of bashing, find the answers.........
Another point do you think a big company like Dragas would move people out of their homes in order to try to repair a problem that is going to cost them millions of dollars with out the hard evidence that there is a problem? That would be really poor business.
Yes, I am
Yes, I am a scientist. That's how I know how to read through the bull and extract the facts. The facts are absolutely no one has researched the issue and found the drywall at fault. There's a number of groups working on it, but there are no conclusion at this time. It's 100% media hype and irresponsible reporting at this point.
Curious World
American citizens just don't get it. American businesses outsource our jobs to China, because American workers are too expensive and environmental legislation is too expensive. The American businesses argue that due to foreign competition that they have to cut benefits for remaining workers. Then the businesses sell defective products from China, that are far more profitable than products produced in America. Dangerous food, toys, pharmaceuticals, and now sheet rock! Finally businesses claim that we have to block litigation against lawsuits launched against defective products. I pity the American businesses who are forced to earn too much money in this spiraling loop of dismantling our country. Working people just need to get used to how things are done in this country.
Alternative Please
When will companies wake up and realize......we don't want products made in China! I check labels and avoid items made in China whenever possible. It is impossible to completely avoid these substandard products, simply because their is no alternative. When selecting my last hairdryer, I did an all out search for one produced somewhere other than China. No such luck! I would much rather pay a few dollars more for a safer and better quality product.
Now is the time for Americans to take advantage and start producing quality safer products here at home! If large companies are too blinded by cheap labor and politics to see the need, then it is time for startup or small businesses to fulfill these needs. This is what America is about!
keithb64840
Is it Madame Toussaud's or Ripley's Wax Museum you are on loan from?
A little more detail
China being the largest foreign holder of U.S. debt (#1 of the countries; #3 overall) is also borne out by the U.S. Treasury's records, current as of Mar '09.
(Forgive me, but I'm gonna use the rest of this space to rant): So while mutual funds do own more than China does, placing them at #2 overall, I find it very unsettling that the #1 place, according to the sources cited in this & my previous post, is held by the U.S. Gov't itself (& since the gov't has no money save what it pinches from TAXPAYERS - that means 'We the People' own the largest share of the Nat'l debt & get to pick up the tab, but unlike real investors, get little or no R.O.I.!
So if I got it right, us taxpayers are essentially borrowing from ourselves to finance the outrageous & often illegal actions of our politicians: giving cash for someone else to piddle away, & charging ourselves (& our heirs) interest for the priveledge! What a deal!
Hold on now, EvanJ
While you are correct that U.S. investors & mutual funds currently hold more of our debt than foreign countries (& I should have stated "of all COUNTRIES which hold our debt") China holds over $100 Billion MORE than any other country: almost $740 Billion vs. about $635 Billion held by Japan, as of the end of March '09, according to Paul Toscano of CNBC.com (an admittedly Leftist organ so perhaps their #'s are suspect.)
And given the state of our economy due to the government caused meltdown, reckless spending & certain inflation to follow now that our currency presses are coming to full speed, many 401k holders & other domestic investors are hesitant/unable to invest as before, so I'd bet the percentage that China holds will only grow.
That's why our government will not keep China's products from our inventories no matter how dangerous they might be.