TAMPA, FL-- Like most homeowners with Chinese drywall, Kate Quinn has watched her dream home become an empty nightmare. Room, after room, after room is vacant because she believes these walls made her children very sick."Constantly sick with upper respiratory infections, coughing spasms constantly double ear infections," Kim Quinn.
For a year, The Tampa mother had no idea what was wrong with 3 year old Cameron and 18 month old Keaton until a repair man told her about Chinese drywall and she called poison control.
"In speaking with poison control she said you have got to get out of that house, you have got to get your children out,” Kate says as she fights back tears.
For the hundreds of homeowners like Kate, today was supposed to bring her some answers and relief. But it didn't.
"We want to find the connection…to try to find and determine if there is that link that connection to the scientific data that comes in to the health and corrosion effects that have been reported to the agency," says Scott Wolfson with the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Six federal and state agencies, including the CPSC, and the Florida Department of Health, said today on a national conference call that despite months of testing they still can't say for sure if Chinese drywall is causing air conditioners to breakdown other appliances to fail or if it's making anyone sick.
The agencies said today they're trying to find answers and solutions for families affected by Chinese drywall and that they were working as quickly as possible.
Kate and her family don't need answers. She says they need help. They're paying a mortgage and now rent. And, even though the government doesn't know if the drywall is to blame her kids getting sick, she knows what happens as soon as they moved out.
"He started eating more he started talking and walking he started living,” she says.
What the tests did find was elevated levels of Sulfur and Strontium. But, the agencies can't yet link those elements to corrosion and health effects.
The information released today was based on sampling done in 10 homes. The agencies hope they will learn more information in November after the complete the tests conducted in 50 homes in Florida and Louisiana.
The CPSC urges any homeowner who believes they're living with Chinese drywall to their drywall hotline at 1-800-638-2772. You can also find more information on the recent test results here.
