WASHINGTON -- U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is urging Florida lawmakers to find out whether leftover federal funds could be used to help homeowners with tainted Chinese drywall.

In a letter sent late Friday to state House and Senate leaders, the Florida Democrat asks lawmakers to adopt a program like one in Louisiana that sets aside $5 million in Community Development Block Grants to help homeowners affected by toxic, corrosive drywall.

``Defective Chinese drywall is ruining the health and lives of countless Floridians,'' Nelson says in the letter, noting that several insurers have dropped policyholders whose homes contain the defective drywall.

Nelson says the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is investigating the problem and that he has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to determine whether federal disaster funds could be used to help displaced homeowners.

`POSSIBLE REMEDY'

``While we continue to pursue this in Washington, I write to urge you to examine another possible remedy,'' he said, noting that Louisiana legislators had set aside money for problems with Chinese drywall.

``I urge you to work with the Florida Governor's office and relevant state agencies to determine, as soon as possible, if Florida has remaining disaster CDBG or other funds available to provide comparable help for our citizens,'' he said.

Homeowners have complained that the contaminated drywall emits sulfuric fumes that corrode metal pipes. To eliminate danger, the drywall must be removed and replaced.

A spokeswoman for Florida Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, said Atwater looked forward to reviewing Nelson's letter and noted that the Senate Community Affairs Committee, chaired by Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, has been looking into the issue.

Bennett sounded skeptical that the money would be available.

``I know that Nelson and everyone else is looking for an answer,'' Bennett said. ``I'm not so sure the problem is not so big as that help will have to come from FEMA. I'm not sure that the block grant money is available.''

NO MONEY YET

Homeowners in Louisiana have yet to see any of the money. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development -- which administers the community development block grants -- must sign off on Louisiana's plan.

Federal officials have said most of the complaints about contaminated drywall have come from Florida and Louisiana. U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., who has asked HUD to approve Louisiana's bid for $5 million in aid, has said his office has fielded complaints from homeowners who were displaced by hurricanes Katrina and Wilma, only to find themselves having to move out of homes with shoddy drywall.

``Implementation of this program . . . will help the citizens of Louisiana who have been adversely affected by toxic drywall repair the damage,'' Scalise said in a letter last month to HUD.

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