The Biden Administration is considering a ban on gas stoves in the U.S. over concerns about alleged harmful air pollutants released from the appliances, according to a report.
UPDATE: After publication of this story, Richard Trumka Jr. insisted the Consumer Products Safety Commission is not going to ban gas stoves, despite his stating previously that it was a “real possibility.”
The original article text continues below:
The far-reaching admission was made by U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. who stated that gas stove appliances are a “hidden hazard.”
“Any option is on the table. Products that can’t be made safe can be banned,” Trumka told Bloomberg in an interview.
Trumka also stated the agency would consider placing emissions standards on the appliances if they can not ban the manufacturing or import of gas stoves, Bloomberg reported.
Trumka and the CPSC have received significant backlash over the idea due to the approximately 40 percent of Americans who use gas stoves in their homes and the bureaucratic effort it would take to apply those changes.
“Over 40 million American households use gas stoves. This type of power should never have been given to unelected bureaucrats and it is time for it to end,” Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL) tweeted in response to Trumka and the CPSC’s idea on Monday.
After receiving heat from Palmer and others on social media, the agency commissioner backtracked on the consideration.
“To be clear, CPSC isn’t coming for anyone’s gas stoves. Regulations apply to new products,” the Biden official said in response to Palmer.
The Bloomberg report cited studies that indicate gas stoves emit toxins such as nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and fine particulate matter at levels that are linked to respiratory illness, cardiovascular problems, cancer, and other health conditions. The studies were from the Institute for Policy Integrity and the American Chemical Society.
Recent peer-reviewed research also shows that 12 percent of childhood asthma cases in the U.S. were linked to gas stoves, the outlet noted.
A Washington-based trade group, representing various gas manufacturers such as Whirlpool, is opposed to a nationwide ban on gas stoves, noting that any type of cooking stove or appliance will produce harmful emissions.
“Ventilation is really where this discussion should be, rather than banning one particular type of technology,” Jill Notini, a vice president with the Association of Home and Appliance Manufacturers, told Bloomberg.
“Banning one type of a cooking appliance is not going to address the concerns about overall indoor air quality. We may need some behavior change, we may need [people] to turn on their hoods when cooking,” Notini added.
Near the end of December, multiple Democrat representatives and senators sent a letter to CPSC chairman Alexander Hoehn-Saric asking the agency to take action against gas stoves, stating black, Latino, and low-income households “experience disproportionate air pollution” compared to other households.
The letter was signed by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Rep. Don Beyer Jr. (D-VA), Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), and multiple other Democrat congressional members.
You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.
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