[Rockhounds] Pyrrhotite in cement- Connecticut update

[Larry Rush]

Readers may remember my post  of a couple of years ago, regarding the mineral pyrrhotite found in foundations of Connecticut homes, and causing damage.The mineral occurred as an impurity from a local limestone quarry in NW Connecticut, and was used as a component of cement. Many home foundations were poured with this material, over a hundred new homes.
The sulphur in the mineral (FeS) reacted with the poured concrete to form a sulfuric-like acid, which ate large holes in the drying concrete walls, many of which became structurally unsafe as a result.Some foundation walls have collapsed, and many are unsound, others leaking groundwater.
The home owners could not find restitution via the builder, the quarry owner, insurance companies, or the state. Law suits since then have been settled, with some relief.This week, a company introduced a way to identify suspected afflicted homes, by drilling a core from the walls, and analyzing it for the suspected mineral and it's acid. 
I suspect this will only be used as evidence in the lawsuits, and not as a learning experience, as to how Geology and Mineralogy can affect our lives.
 If only the local municipal engineer had taken that Geology 101 course!!  Or, at least consulted the state Geologist before mining!!
If you are having a home built, I suggest that you check out the chemistry or mineralogy of your poured cement base early in the process!!