Sen. Warner asks for new look at rules for Chinese drywall

By Josh Brown
The Virginian-Pilot
© March 28, 2011

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., is calling on federal safety regulators to seek public input on new guidelines for fixing homes with Chinese drywall.

It's been a little more than a week since the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that affected homeowners could leave electrical wiring in place. The commission made the change after laboratory tests showed the wires had no long-term impact from exposure to the tainted drywall. The material has been blamed for corroding metal in homes and wreaking havoc on electrical systems.

The revised guidelines put the commission at odds with a federal judge in New Orleans who has ordered homes with the drywall be gutted, saying that leaving the wiring might cause future fire hazards.

Warner, who wrote the letter with Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, urged the regulators to organize workshops and produce the scientists who determined that leaving the wiring in place is fine.

"With such economically-significant decisions in the balance, it is critical that your agencies get this decision right," the senators wrote.

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Drywall Coverup

Submitted by frankr27401 on Wed, 03/30/2011 at 4:54 pm.

I'd say the Consumer Product Safety Commission is covering up a nightmare the government doesn't want to deal with. Chinese drywall has been blamed for corroding metal in homes and wreaking havoc on electrical systems. And so it is; more government is not particularly better.

Slogans Are Not Effective Regulation

Submitted by Bob Greene on Sun, 04/24/2011 at 11:06 pm.

Anonymous said, "... more government is not particularly better."
---

The problem with the slogan "more government is not particularly better" is it is false. The Chinese drywall scandal is not a case of more government, but of no government regulation of any consequence.

When the Wall Street casino declared bankruptcy in 2008, pleading with government for a bailout, effective government regulation was painfully absent-- a situation with no cop on duty invites thievery (cover-up) in the market.

GOP conservatives usually vote more money for police and prisons at home, and more money for military actions abroad-- all to make sure the world is safely regulated. But they vote no protection for consumers in the American home marketplace.