The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is eyeing a ban on gas stoves after reports by the Institute for Policy Integrity and the American Chemical Society found the appliances to be emitting dangerous air pollutants.
The offending pollutants were identified as nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, as well as other particles the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) say are unsafe and are linked to respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular problems, cancer, and other health conditions, Bloomberg reported.
A research article published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health last month also found that more than 12% of current asthma cases among US children can be attributed to the use of gas stoves.
“There is about 50 years of health studies showing that gas stoves are bad for our health, and the strongest evidence is on children and children’s asthma,” said Brady Seals, a co-author of the study. “By having a gas connection, we are polluting the insides of our homes.”
The CPSC has been considering a ban for months, but has yet to finalize a plan. Agency commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. first recommended in October that the CPSC should seek public comment on the health and safety issues surrounding gas stoves. The agency also told CNN in a statement that such an action would “involve a lengthy process.”
"This is a hidden hazard," Trumka Jr. told Bloomberg. "Any option is on the table. Products that can’t be made safe can be banned."
“Agency staff plans to start gathering data and perspectives from the public on potential hazards associated with gas stoves, and proposed solutions to those hazards later this year,” the commission told CNN. “Commission staff also continues to work with voluntary standards organizations to examine gas stove emissions and address potential hazards.”
According to Trumka, alternatives to a ban could include “setting standards on emissions from the gas stoves,” while Consumer Reports recommends consumers make a switch to electric ranges.
The push to rid American households of gas stoves also comes as lawmakers attempt to reduce the use of fossil fuels as America, and the rest of the world, is faced with the devastating realities of climate change.
President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act - which was signed in August - could also help transition some Americans towards the use of electric cars, appliances, and solar panels. The $4.5 billion act is attempting to electrify the homes of those who are in the low-to-moderate-income household range, with rebates of up to $840 offered to those who wish to purchase a new electric range for their home.
Some cities in the US have already banned the implementation of natural gas hookups in new buildings in order to reduce greenhouse emissions, those include cities in the two Democratic stronghold states of New York and California. But as of February of last year, 20 GOP-controlled states have passed laws that make it impossible for cities to ban natural gas.
"To be clear, CPSC isn't coming for anyone's gas stoves," Trumka tweeted on Monday. "Regulations apply to new products. For Americans who CHOOSE to switch from gas to electric, there is support available."