In something that will likely not come as a surprise to residents of New Orleans, a planned command center for emergency operations in the event of a hurricane that was scheduled to be ready last Monday is nowhere near ready.
In pictures provided by WWL, the site looks more like a recent renovation than what is supposed to be the nerve center for communications should a devastating storm return to the city.
WWL’s Scott Satchfield reports
In an effort to share ideas and strategies on the Chinese drywall issue, lawyers from across the country are meeting in Florida to discuss this matter. Aaron Kessler of the Herald Tribune reports
Attorneys from all sides of the tainted Chinese drywall issue descended Thursday on Orlando for a two-day conference dedicated to the growing problem — now apparently international — and the lawsuits stemming from it.
The conference, sponsored by HarrisMartin Publishing, drew more than 200 attorneys — bringing together everyone from those representing struggling homeowners to builders and insurance companies to drywall manufacturers themselves. High-powered class action lawyers traded jibes with their counterparts on the defense side — some good-hearted, some not so gentle — and all wondered just how the drywall issue would ultimately get resolved.
This weekend is as good a time as any to prepare your family, home, business and/or property for hurricane season. Our blog has featured various tips on how to be ready in the event of a hurricane and what steps you can take to insure you are on solid footing in the aftermath of a storm.
Simply go to the Storm and Hurricane tips section of this blog to find out more information.
In a move intended to open the door for home and property owners to use the judicial system to remedy damages incurred by the use of Chinese drywall in their recent constructions or renovations, the Louisiana legislature is opening up the avenues for lawsuits against those who brought the faulty wallboard to the state.
In an article featured by the AP, the state legislature’s efforts are detailed as residents begin to move forward and past this building disaster
Chinese drywall products that some people blame for health problems, unpleasant odors and material damage in homes where it is used is the subject of legislation coming up for debate in the Louisiana Senate.
While much to do has been made of the potential health problems associated with exposure to Chinese drywall, experts have begun looking into the issues caused by the use of these materials. Gary Rosen, Ph.D., has tendered a study on Chinese drywall that exposes the structural side of these building materials and certain items are worth noting. His Q&A regarding Chinese drywall answers several questions about the wallboard and exposes problems that might not be immediately considered.
First, the identification of Chinese drywall can help home or property owners in their pursuit of answers. According to Rosen, “All US drywall has special markings on the edge tape. If there is no writing on the edge tape indicating an American brand, or the edge tape is generic looking either clear/milky plastic, or plain white paper this would rule out American drywall.” As such, because of the specific labeling of U.S. drywall, that wallboard that stands out as without these elements should be looked into further. One brand of problematic drywall, Knauf brand, has the name ‘KNAUF’ stamped on the back. It is important to note, however, that NOT all Chinese drywall is considered problematic but, rather, has been ISO approved, such as the BNBM drywall from Beijing.
Because of the variance that has been found in the test results of drywall considered problematic, Rosen avoids declaring Chinese wallboard a public health hazard just yet but focuses, instead, on the danger and dilemma created by the use of the material in construction. While he remains inconclusive on just how damaging the drywall may be to electrical fixtures and metal elements, Rosen, on the topic of replacing ‘good,’ non-harmful drywall used around the Chinese drywall, does state “no doubt removal of the drywall and replacement with new is the best approach.”
In a report by Fox News, most coastal residents are not prepared for hurricane season.
Many Americans who live in Gulf and Atlantic Coast states are not prepared for an active 2009 hurricane season, despite being slammed last year, a new Mason-Dixon poll found.
More than half those surveyed, 66 percent, said they don’t have a hurricane survival kit and 62 percent said they don’t feel vulnerable to a hurricane or related tornado or flooding.
Today, according to the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, marks the beginning of hurricane season.
The Atlantic hurricane season is officially from 1 June to 30 November. There is nothing magical in these dates, and hurricanes have occurred outside of these six months, but these dates were selected to encompass over 97% of tropical activity. June 1st has been the traditional start of the Atlantic hurricane season for decades. However, the end date has been slowly shifted outward, from October 31st to November 15th until its current date of November 30th.
Now, before it’s too late, make sure your insurance premiums are up to date, your coverage is what you wanted and your home plan on emergency preparation is ready. For more information on how to be prepared for storms and hurricanes, check out our blog posts that go over a variety of ways to be prepared in the event of a disaster or tropical storm.
In a test report produced by the EPA, gases and materials toxic to humans were found within the Chinese drywall tested
The EPA did announce earlier in the week that samples of Chinese drywall contained elevated levels of sulfur, strontium, and organic material, reports the Miami Herald. This confirms the results of testing already conducted for the State of Florida at an independent Illinois laboratory, as noted by Coastal Connection on April 15th.
This test demonstrates that the federal government is now fully knowledgeable of the issues involved and that the pre-cursor test done in April has been verified. If you have or believe there to be Chinese drywall in your home, contact your builder and the Berniard Law Firm immediately to have experts handle your case properly. Delays in doing so can only be detrimental to your health and case and it is inherently important you utilize experts like those used by the Berniard Law Firm to handle your Chinese drywall case.
In some absolutely non-shocking news, the chair of the Consumer Safety Commission has stepped down in the wake of the Chinese Drywall disaster.
Nancy Nord, the acting chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission who has been blasted in recent months for her handling of the tainted Chinese drywall issue, will be handing over the reins to fellow commissioner Thomas Moore next week.
Moore will take over as acting head on June 1 until a new chair can be confirmed by the Senate. In a statement, Nord said she plans to keep her position as commissioner until the end of her term in 2012.
The Louisiana senate move forward with changes for Citizens insurance that will hopefully help home and property owners with their coverage and recovery in the event of a hurricane or natural disaster. NOLA.com reports:
The state-run insurer of last resort should have new guidelines to set rates and possibly slow the increase in premiums to homeowners, the Senate decided today.
Approved 30-2, Senate Bill 130 by Sen. Troy Hebert, D-Jeanerette, goes to the House Insurance Committee for more debate.
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