WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, released a statement after the Appropriations Committee passed a provision he and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) wrote to help homeowners with crumbing foundations. Their provision urges the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to establish regulations for acceptable levels of pyrrhotite – a mineral found in concrete that is suggested to be the cause of the crumbling foundations. It also directs NIST to provide assistance to homeowners who are interested in detection, prevention, and mitigation of the pyrrhotite mineral. In central and eastern Connecticut, homeowners in dozens of towns are dealing with crumbling foundations.

“Far too many Connecticut families lay awake at night, trying to figure out how to save their homes. While this is just a small step and there’s a whole lot more to do, we hope homeowners will finally start to get some of the answers they deserve about how they can protect themselves and their homes from crumbling foundations,” said Murphy and Blumenthal. 

Murphy and Blumenthal’s provision passed as part of the FY2018 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies bill.