U.S. consumer advocates could be moving to limit the use of gas stoves in Americans’ homes in order to protect children’s health. This winter, members of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) began floating ways to stop indoor use of gas stoves, citing research linking them with an increased risk of childhood asthma.
For example, the CPSC pointed to a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health that said gas stoves are responsible for 12.7% of childhood asthma cases in the U.S.
“When gas stoves are turned on and burning at a hot temperature, they can release air pollutants,” one of the study’s co-authors, Brady Seals, told Yahoo News. “These are things like particulate matter, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, along with others. So, for example, nitrogen dioxide is a known respiratory irritant. And the EPA, in 2016, said that short-term exposure … causes respiratory effects like asthma attacks.”
Following the study’s publication, CPSC Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. told Bloomberg “products that can’t be made safe can be banned.” Another option, he said, would be to set standards on emissions from the appliances. About 35-40% of American households currently use gas stoves.
Politicians on both sides of the aisle swiftly came out against the idea, saying that banning gas stoves would remove Americans’ ability to choose their appliances and the way they cook their food. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) wrote on Twitter that a ban was a “recipe for disaster.”
“The federal government has no business telling American families how to cook their dinner. I can tell you the last thing that would ever leave my house is the gas stove that we cook on.” Mike Sommers, president of the American Petroleum Institute, said in a statement that “people love their gas stoves.”
He also predicted a backlash among American homeowners over electrification that would prevent a ban from happening. The White House soon clarified that the Biden administration did not support such action.
“The Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is independent, is not banning gas stoves,” Michael Kikukawa, a White House spokesman, told reporters. Trumka eventually walked back talk of a ban, emphasizing that the agency is exploring options to help reduce potential health hazards.
“Research indicates that emissions from gas stoves can be hazardous, and the CPSC is looking for ways to reduce related indoor air quality hazards,” Trumka said in a statement. “But to be clear, I am not looking to ban gas stoves and the CPSC has no proceeding to do so.”
The agency, he added, is also “actively engaged in strengthening voluntary safety standards for gas stoves.” Meanwhile, a group of Democratic lawmakers, led by Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), sent a letter to the CPSC in December urging the agency to continue its research. They emphasized that gas stove emissions can have particularly deleterious effects on low-income and minority households.
“These emissions can create a cumulative burden to households that are already more likely to face higher exposure to both indoor and outdoor air pollution,” the letter stated. “Statistics show that Black, Latino, and low-income households are more likely to experience disproportionate air pollution, either from being more likely to be located near a waste incinerator or coal ash site, or living in smaller homes with poor ventilation, malfunctioning appliances, mold, dust mites, secondhand smoke, lead dust, pests, and other maintenance deficiencies.”
Backers of a ban also say that electric stoves — particularly new, more efficient induction devices — are better for the environment because they reduce natural gas burning. The issue is creating a divide in the culinary world.
Celebrity chef Alice Waters is among those who say a switch to electric stoves can fight climate change; others say gas stoves are a needed tool in commercial kitchens.
“There are certain types of food and certain culinary techniques that really require a flame in some way, shape or form to work and also for consistency and quality purposes,” Mike Whatley, vice president of state affairs and grassroots advocacy at the National Restaurant Association, said in a statement.
Although a full-out ban is not likely in the short term, discussion and debate around improving the safety of gas stoves, especially in households, is likely to continue.
For more background, see the May 2022 issue of Congressional Digest on “The Green New Deal.”
