Florida seeks Obama's help on drywall mess

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla., July 29 (UPI) -- A Florida lawmaker has asked President Obama to help state residents sort out problems with imported drywall blamed for myriad of problems.

Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., wrote a letter to Obama asking Washington to set up a one-stop assistance center that property owners can utilize to arrange for financing and repairs.

The drywall in question has been found to emit sulfuric gases that corrode metal wiring and may also cause respiratory problems in people.

The Palm Beach (Fla.) Post said the assistance centers would be modeled after those used by federal disaster-relief agencies in the aftermath of hurricanes.

"What urgently is needed now is White House mobilization and coordination of all federal resources that could help homeowners," Nelson said in his letter to the president.