Inez Tenenbaum, chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, told Reuters and other media Monday that 13 makers of the drywall have not “come to the table to discuss our scientific findings and what, if any, they think their responsibility is to the American homeowner."
Thousands of homes in Florida and across the Southeast have been plagued with the defective drywall, which corrodes metals, produces a foul smell and causes electrical and other problems.
Homeowners also say the drywall makes them sick, though government testing has not established a link between the drywall and any health risks.
In October, Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin, one of the largest makers of the problem drywall, announced the start of a pilot program to repair hundreds of homes. The program does not help homeowners whose drywall came from companies other than Knauf. Some of those Chinese firms have ignored U.S. lawsuits.