Federal Agency Comes Closer to Gas Stove Ban

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has made a formal request for information about the possible health hazards of gas-powered stoves—another signal that the United States may be moving towards a ban on those appliances under the Biden administration.

“This RFI does not constitute or propose regulatory action, but rather is intended to inform the Commission and the public,” The request states.

This request can be viewed Here. It already has hundreds of comments. The comment period closes May 8.

It requests input. “proposed solutions” From stakeholders such as “consumers, manufacturers, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and researchers on chronic chemical hazards associated with the use of gas ranges.”

Media Comments

Two months ago, Richard Trumka Jr. (the federal agency’s commissioner) suggested that a ban of gas stoves might be in the works.

“This is a hidden hazard. Any option is on the table. Products that can’t be made safe can be banned,” Bloomberg News reported that he spoke with him on January 9.

Trumka Jr. is Richard Trumka Sr.’s son.

The comments of the commissioner, which included a December statement suggesting that an outright ban could be possible, attracted a lot of criticism, mostly from Republican legislators.

Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-W.Va., wrote a joint letter to other Senate Republicans seeking answers from the CPSC.

“Gas stoves tend to result in lower utility bills than their electric counterparts. Gas stoves are also generally more durable, with less parts being susceptible to breakages or other defects. A ban on these stoves would therefore likely result in higher utility bills, disproportionately affecting low-income populations,” Lummis’ January 19 letter.

CNN reported that Biden was informed by the White House Jan. 11, according to CNN “does not support banning gas stoves,” The GPSC can be added to the mix. “which is independent, is not banning gas stoves.”

Fox News later reported that Trumka Jr. had circulated in October 2022 an internal memo stating that a ban on gas stoves could be proposed.

The Epoch Times has reviewed the memo. You can read it here Here.

“The need for gas stove regulation has reached a boiling point,” He signed the memo.

“CPSC has the responsibility to ban consumer products that emit hazardous substances, particularly, when those emissions harm children, under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act.”

“There is sufficient information available for CPSC to issue an NPR in FY 2023 proposing to ban gas stoves in homes,” He added. NPR is an acronym for “notice of proposed rulemaking.”

In a March 15 letter, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) asked CPSC regulators to retain any documents related to its efforts to regulate gas stoves.

Cruz and Joe Manchin (D.W.Va.), introduced a bill last month to ban CPSC-led gas stoves.

The CPSC doesn’t seem to be the only Biden administration agency with a focus on gas stoves.

The Department of Energy published a proposal on February 1 that would ban large numbers of gas stoves.

This request can be viewed Here. To date, it has received thousands of comments. Its comment period will end on April 3, 2023.

China-Linked Think Tank – Research

Trumka Jr.’s Jan. 9, comments were in response to Dec. 2022’s publication of a peer reviewed article that linked 12.7 percent childhood asthma to gas stoves.

This paper was co-authored by scientists from the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), an environment think tank that focuses on “carbon-free buildings,” Other topics.

RMI also provides a “China Program” A Beijing-based team. It boasts about its connections to that state, which it claims is run by the Chinese Communist Party.

“In China, we partner with the government to help the nation profitably surpass its existing national energy and emissions targets,” RMI’s website about this program states.

Brady Seals from RMI told the Washington Examiner about its study “does not assume or estimate a causal relationship” In the association it documented between childhood asthma and gas stoves.

Others doubt the link between poor health and gas ranges.

On Jan. 10, the American Gas Association, an industry association, released a statement criticizing RMI’s study. It stated that it was flawed. “not substantiated by sound science.”

“The authors conducted no measurements or tests based on real-life appliance usage, and ignored literature, including one study of data collected from more than 500,000 children in 47 countries that ‘detected no evidence of an association between the use of gas as a cooking fuel and either asthma symptoms or asthma diagnosis,'” According to the group.

California Moves the Nation

California is the leading state in imposing restrictions on natural gas imports in the United States. The federal ban would be implemented in accordance with California’s lead.

Berkeley was the first city in the country to ban new natural gas hookups for 2019.

The California Air Resources Board approved in late 2022 a measure to ban new water heaters, furnaces, and natural gas-powered furnaces by 2030.

California Bay Area’s Air District Board of Directors moved to amend regulations regarding nitrogen oxide emissions from natural gas furnaces and water heaters. This effectively bans these appliances until 2030.