Posted on 11/17/2010 5:10:00 AM PST by TSgt
The deck, if it was built before 2004, is likely made of wood that contains enough chemicals to kill you. And you can still buy that lumber. It's called CCA Treated Wood. Local 12's Rich Jaffe looks at the poison planks upon which one family's disastrous dreams are built.
Ten years ago, in the hills of Indiana, the McGuire family began building their dream home... but in months, their dream turned into a disaster which may eventually cost them their lives. Says Arthur McGuire, "This is a national issue, this ain't a Ripley County, Indiana issue, it ain't an Artie and Connie McGuire issue, this is a national issue."
The issue is arsenic a known poison and carcinogen. More than 80 percent of the treated wood manufactured in this country prior to December 2003 was treated with a process called CCA. Chromated copper arsenate... it's also called salt treated, or wolmanized. While effective, the preservatives are highly toxic. Experts say a 12 foot long CCA board contains enough arsenic to kill 250 people.
The McGuire family built their massive deck, entirely with CCA treated lumber. They also used it inside, framing the home. The McGuires had no idea that with every cut, they were exposing themselves to the poison within. "We'd learned in 2003 that arsenic was used in the wood by a tag but after calling the manufacturer, the retailer and the chemical company it was told to us it was no harm, no danger...so we never thought no more of it."
But that was 2003. Construction started in 2000... and within a year Arthur McGuire was critically ill. "I started passing out, numerous nose bleeds, severe headaches, loss of vision, loss of feeling in my hands and feet, would get numb around my mouth and nose...loss of hair...and October 2001 I was put on 24 hour care."
Two and a half months later, the McGuire's 16 year old son was in the hospital with a heart attack and other family members were sick as well. Says Connie McGuire, "Little things was going on with me, I just thought was normal, but Artie kept getting worse and I would get a little bit worse... then this happened with my son, I had no idea what to face next."
Confronted by a growing medical mystery, in 2006 doctors discovered extremely high levels of arsenic in the McGuires blood, urine and tissue samples. State and county officials like Wayne Peace were called in for testing. "We noticed some kittens, and it was a rainy day, and there was water puddles on the deck and they were drinking the water, and they looked pretty sick, I even made a comment about it."
Tests showed the McGuire's deck boards contained arsenic levels thousands of times higher than those allowed in humans. Toxic salts can still be seen on the decking. During construction the McGuires tracked the poison into their home. Once the roof was up they cut wood inside... blowing toxic sawdust into every crevice. They used wood scraps for campfires, cooking over them, not knowing the poisonous smoke could destroy their lungs and stomachs.
In December of 2003 under a threatened ban from the EPA, CCA manufacturers voluntarily agreed to stop making it for residential use... however they still minimize the risk. The Wood Preservative Science Council says "Studies have established that the potential level of arsenic exposure from CCA-treated wood is significantly lower than the levels adults and children are exposed to each day from background sources such as food and drinking water. It is important to keep in mind that the arsenic component of CCA is complexed within the wood itself and is intended to remain within the wood."
But it doesn't... it leaches out.
While the industry agreed to the ban in 2003 of CAA treated lumber for residential uses, we found that wood treated with the same poisonous chemicals is still readily available. It's sold as posts and timbers...even advertised as "CCA" but it's supposed to carry warning labels. We checked these posts at two Indiana stores, many had no warning labels at all, and clerks were unaware of any dangers with the toxic timbers.
The U.S. EPA tells me while they regulate the "pesticide, preservative product..." meaning the arsenic, the "treated articles" meaning the posts...are "exempted from regulation." The industry is supposed to do that. "The same that went on in 2000, 2001 all the while we was building this is the same thing going on today. Wood is being sold made of CCA chemicals, no end tags on it,no consumer awareness program given out to the public that was agreed upon, and if there's no information out there how does the consumer know not only what he's buying but what precautions to take?"
Health experts allowed the McGuires to live in their basement. The rest of their dream home is sealed off... resting above their heads as a tragic reminder of what could have been and what is. "Ten years from now Artie and I could both be diagnosed with some sort of cancer we just don't know what the effects are we're gonna have with it...but this was our home, and arsenic took it from us."
County health departments can test for arsenic. If your deck was built before 2004, seal it each year and never use acid washes. Do not burn treated lumber - a teaspoon of CCA wood ash could kill a person.
I've used the stuff for outdoor projects and never had any problems.
Life is hard, it's even harder when you are stupid.
Is it in all pressures treat deck planks?
These idiots actually COOKED over treated lumber? Darwin Award is right.
By the wording, there will now be a huge lawsuit against Big Lumber, to have CCA treated lumber banned in favor of some altrnative that doesn’t work. SSDD
These idiots actually COOKED over treated lumber? Darwin Award is right.
By the wording, there will now be a huge lawsuit against Big Lumber, to have CCA treated lumber banned in favor of some altrnative that doesn’t work. SSDD
I built a deck about 25 years ago with CCA. Some of the wood was freshly treated and pretty wet. I was cutting it in my garage with the door open, but even so, sometimes I’d feel a bit off.
I knew better to burn it. It belongs outside and on the bottom strip of your sill where there is contact with concrete. I knew better to burn it, and I thought everyone else did, too!
I mean “I knew better than to burn it.” The bad grammar is due to lack of coffee, rather than long ago CCA exposure, I hope.
Darn. Sorry about the double post. Not used to this new touchpad. I guess. Should have been harder to double click with a touch pad. In theory, anyway.
You mean the bench style dining room table that I built .. shouldn't have been built with it? 8)
Society has to try and protect every idiot, no matter how stupid they are. Why would you use treated lumber for studs? It costs more than non treated.
I never knew what the treatment in treated lumber was, but I did know that you never, ever burn the stuff in your fireplace, etc.
Maybe you shouldn't eat stuff off the planks?
If they were building today they would be cooking over Trex Decking - Darwin never waivers.
when I worked at Lowe’s all of the p.t. bins had warning signs about the use/mis-use of the lumber. Each stick of p.t. lumber had a warning tag from the mill. No associate was allowed to cut p.t. wood on the store saw for customers and the saw had a warning sign prominently displayed.
Something isn’t right here. If this guy built this himself, then he is not much of a carpenter/contractor. Anyone who works with lumber knows the deal with p.t. Plus he wasted a lot of money using p.t. for wall framing lumber as p.t. is more expensive.
Nearly all wood species must be treated to prevent insect infestation and rot. Creosote was banned and CCA came along. For a long time it was approved for nearly every use except food preparation.
So, ban wood preservatives; with what material may we build?
Not concrete; the “carbon footprint” is too high!
Steel? Ditto!
Adobe? Ah, yes! It is “earth toned”, natural, indigenous! Of course the runoff from your adobe pit will silt up our streams, so that is banned, too.
I know! CAVES! Voila, natural, earth friendly. Of course, there are only so many caves to go around. We’ll probably have to depopulate the planet.
/sarc
I built the substructure of a deck out of CCA (the stuff you come in daily contact with is done in redwood) back in ‘93, and knew better than to burn it, knew to wear a dust mask and long sleeves when cutting it, and so forth, too. But nobody’s born with that knowledge, you have to learn it from some source. For most do-it-yourselfers, the dangers of CCA were learned from the folks who sold them the wood the first time they used it.
I’m not sure whether this is constitutes a case for a Darwin Award or a case of slow-motion negligent homicide on the part of the staff of the lumberyard.
Any time you try to idiot proof anything they’ll build a better idiot.
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