The government is saying that we should remove any damaged chinese drywall.

TAMPA – The only way to get rid of tainted Chinese drywall in thousands of homes across the country is to gut them, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Friday.

All drywall, electrical wiring, outlets, circuit breakers, fire alarm systems, carbon monoxide alarms, fire sprinklers and gas pipes need to be replaced, according to the agency’s guidelines.

“We want families to tear it all out and rebuild the interior of their homes, and they need to start this to get their lives started all over again,” said Inez Tenenbaum, chairwoman of the commission, the federal agency charged with making sure consumer products are safe.

The recommendation wasn’t surprising to homeowners living with the drywall. Homeowners complain the drywall emits a rotten-egg stench and corrodes air conditioning coils and wiring. Some blame the drywall for itchy eyes and respiratory problems.

The question now is who’s going to pay for it?

“Our scientific investigation now provides a strong foundation for Congress as they consider their policy options and explore relief for affected homeowners,” Tenenbaum said.

About 3,000 homeowners, mostly in Florida, Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana, have reported problems to the agency. The Chinese-made drywall was imported in large quantities during the housing boom and after a string of Gulf Coast hurricanes.

Some experts have estimated that as many as 100,000 homes could have the bad drywall. Florida is thought to have the majority of the homes.

It’s unclear how many Tampa Bay area homes are affected, but some builders have begun gutting local homes and replacing drywall.

The consumer products agency report showed samples of the Chinese-made product emit 100 times as much hydrogen sulfide as drywall made elsewhere.

Last month, Florida asked Federal Emergency Management Agency to help homeowners using disaster relief funds. FEMA quickly said no and suggested state officials turn to the CPSC for answers.

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., said Friday that manufacturers should pay to fix the problem.

“The way I see it, homeowners didn’t cause this. The manufacturers in China did,” Nelson said. “That’s why we’ve got to go after the Chinese government now.”

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.