United States Federal agencies are considering banning gas stoves which creates indoor pollution leading to childhood asthma.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. told Bloomberg this week that gas stoves pose “hidden dangers” and suggested the agency could ban them. This caused a great controversy.
Trumka confirmed that “everything is on the table” when it comes to gas stoves, but stressed that any ban only applies to new gas stoves, not old ones.
CPSC is considering action on gas stoves for several months. Trumka recommended in October that the CPSC seek public comment on the risks associated with gas stoves. Pollutants have been linked to worsening asthma and respiratory conditions.
A December 2022 study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that indoor gas stove use is associated with an increased risk of current asthma in children. The study found that nearly 13% of current pediatric asthma in the United States is attributed to gas stove use.
Trumka told CNN that the agency plans to release public commentary on gas stove hazards and that the CPSC has not “coordinated” around a solution. He said he was still preparing to gather information and solicit public comment.
But on Wednesday, the White House insisted that President Joe Biden did not support a stove ban. And recently, lawmakers in Washington argued that Black, Latino and low-income households are more likely to be affected by these adverse effects because they live near garbage incinerators or coal ash sites, or because they are in poorly ventilated homes. .
Trumka pushed back the fears of politicians.
“We’re not trying to go into someone’s house and take something that’s already there. We don’t do that,” Trumka told CNN. “When we reach regulations on this topic, it’s always forward-looking. You know, that applies to new products. Consumers always have a choice about what to keep in their home and we want to make sure they do so with complete information. “
The CSPC commissioner also noted that consumers who want to switch from gas stoves to electric stoves could receive up to $840 in rebates through the Inflation Reduction Act and up to $500 to help cover the cost of switching from gas to electric. I did. .
“We try to figure out how to make things safe. That’s the first goal. And if we can do that, that’s fantastic. But if we fall short of that, all options are on the table,” Trumka said.
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