State asks Washington to help families with Chinese drywall

Florida families hurt by Chinese drywall should receive financial aid,
interim director of the state’s Department of Emergency Management,
David Halstead, wrote to Washington yesterday. Halstead wrote the
letter to officials at the Federal Emergency Management Agency at the
urging of Governor Charlie Crist, who has expressed concern over the
broad and potentially more widespread risks associated with drywall
from China. The letter asked federal officials to consider alternative
modes of compensation. Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach
counties are three of the four highest counties in number of Florida Department
of Health drywall cases. According to the letter, Halstead asked the
government to conduct a preliminary damage assessment related to these
problems, and warned that there could be far more families affected
than previously anticipated. [Sun-Sentinel]