Photo: Standing outside a New York City Lumber Liquidators showroom, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer this week urged the Consumer Product Safety Commission to immediately launch an investigation into the safety of Chinese-imported wood flooring material from Lumber Liquidators. Photo Courtesy of the Office of U.S. Senator Charles Schumer.
Testing done on wood samples from Lumber Liquidators has determined that the flooring doesn’t meet key environmental standards and is possibly carcinogenic.
Following a “60 Minutes” report questioning the safety of Chinese-imported laminated wood flooring material sold by Lumber Liquidators, Senator Charles Schumer has called for a thorough investigation by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Schumer said that the CPSC, in consultation with the EPA and the CDC, should test whether this flooring product, reportedly tainted with high levels of formaldehyde, is out of compliance with industry standards for formaldehyde in household products. More importantly, Schumer wants to know if the flooring is “an immediate hazard to human health.”
Formaldehyde is a carcinogen, and exposure may cause respiratory issues for people with asthma or allergies. A colorless, gaseous compound, it is most commonly known as an ingredient in embalming solutions due to its efficacy in disinfecting and temporarily preserving biological material. Formaldehyde is also used in the glue that binds the wood particles in laminate flooring. In homes with poor ventilation, and homes recently rebuilt after Superstorm Sandy, flooring containing formaldehyde could be polluting the air inside.
Lumber Liquidators has over 360 stores across the country, including at least fifteen in New York State. The report found that while the American-made laminate at Lumber Liquidators had acceptable levels of formaldehyde, the China-made Lumber Liquidators’ flooring likely contains unsafe levels of the compound.
The report tested samples of wood materials sold in California, finding that they were not, as labeled, compliant with California Air Resources Board (CARB) Phase 2 standards. Schumer is urging a Federal Trade Commission investigation into whether or not the company has been using deceptive practices by mislabeling their products. The Chinese mills where the materials are manufactured admit they do not in fact comply with California emission requirements and that they had falsely labeled the laminate as compliant. “60 Minutes” also tested flooring sold in other states. Out of 31 boxes tested, only one was compliant – and in fact, some were more than 13 times the California limit.
“Lumber Liquidators is reportedly selling formaldehyde-tainted wood flooring to customers everywhere, and the federal government must step in to investigate whether this product is dangerous and if a recall or other disciplinary action must be taken. The fact that this carcinogen may be polluting the air inside New York City apartments and homes newly rebuilt after Sandy makes it a top concern for this region, and it seems abundantly clear that the company cannot be left to its own devices in addressing this potential health threat,” said Schumer.
Meanwhile, since the report aired on March 1, Lumber Liquidators’ stock has dramatically dropped, with some investors saying that it is worth $0. The company is standing by its products and offering free safety testing of laminate floors for qualifying customers.
By Eugénie Bisulco eugenie@theforumnewsgroup.com
