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An internal memo has revealed that Biden’s administration was in fact serious about banning gas stoves across the US, before public backlash forced them to rethink the move.
Richard Trumka Jr., an agency commissioner for US Consumer Product Safety Commission, announced in January that the group were keen to address the pollution emitted by gas stoves.
But the federal regulator’s proposal to ban the appliances quickly caused mass outrage, as many said it would disproportionately target poorer Americans as gas cooking appliances are often more affordable.
An estimated 48.8 million households in the US still have gas kitchen appliances, according to data from 2020. And under Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) each household can receive up to $840 in a rebate to switch to electric, alongside an additional $500 for installation fees.
Richard Trumka Jr. (left) and Joe Biden (right). An internal memo now shows that The Consumer Product Safety Commission was indeed serious about banning gas stoves, before there was mass outrage at the proposal
This means that if every household in the US that currently owns a gas cooker switched and used the government funds, it would cost the Biden administration over $65 billion.
The IRA was set in place to offer incentives for consumers to switch to electric stoves, and once law it will provide $369billion of subsidies and tax credits over a decade – making it the largest climate spending package in American history.
Richard Trumka Jr. said in the internal memo: ‘The need for gas stove regulation has reached a boiling point’
The Consumer Product Safety Commission head wrote the internal memo – titled ‘NPR Proposing Ban on Gas Stoves (Indoor Air Quality)’ on October 25, 2022.
This goes to show that the Biden administration, who appoints the CPSC, were allegedly thinking about making the switch months before it was previously reported.
The internal memo, seen by Fox News, read: ‘The need for gas stove regulation has reached a boiling point. CPSC has the responsibility to ban consumer products that emit hazardous substances, particularly, when those emissions harm children, under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act.
‘Emerging evidence is sufficient to conclude that gas stoves in homes emit toxic gasses that cause illness and that lower-cost, safer alternatives are available.
‘There is sufficient information available for CPSC to issue an NPR in FY 2023 proposing to ban gas stoves in homes.
The White House made a statement after the proposal, making clear that Biden was not coming for oven tops. It was after people dug out an image of Jill Biden cooking on one
‘The additional work needed to complete an NPR is primarily economic; the available health and scientific evidence on illnesses caused by the relevant gasses at the concentrations present in homes with gas stoves already exists.’
In the aftermath of the backlash, the White House confirmed: ‘The president does not support banning gas stoves and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is independent, is not banning as stoves.’
The backtrack came in response to a tweet from Republican lawmaker Rep. Gary Palmer, who voiced outrage that unelected officials could ban an appliance used by tens of millions of Americans.
The idea of banning was first raised by Democrat lawmakers Sen. Cory Booker and Rep. Dan Beyer, who sent a letter to the the CPSC urging it to take action after a study found that gas stoves were linked to higher cases of asthma.
Trumpka previously told Bloomberg gas stoves were a ‘hidden hazard,’ and added that ‘any option is on the table’ and ‘products that can’t be made safe can be banned.’
But he later clarified that potential regulations would only ‘apply to new products’ in a tweet. ‘CPSC isn’t coming for anyone’s gas stoves. Regulations apply to new products,’ he added.
If every household in the US that currently owns a gas cooker switched to electric and used the government funds, it would cost the Biden administration over $65 billion
It comes as nearly 100 cities and counties have adopted policies that require or encourage a move away from fossil fuel-powered buildings, including in New York City where the city council voted to ban natural gas hookups in new buildings under seven stories by the end of the year.
The California Air Resources Board also voted unanimously in September to ban the sale of natural gas-fired furnaces and water heaters by 2030.
The debate was kickstarted by a new study that found roughly one in eight cases of childhood asthma in the US are the result of air pollution given off by gas stoves.
This puts emissions from gas cooking at the same asthma risk level as breathing in secondhand smoke.
Asthma affects roughly six million US children each year, and nearly 13 percent of them get it from breathing in the toxins that a gas stove gives off every day.
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Findings from the team at the Rocky Mountain Institute in Colorado suggest that the roughly 35 percent of American homes that use gas stoves should mitigate the spread of toxins like nitrogen dioxide and benzene by switching to an electric induction stove.
Their research is the latest installment in a growing body that shows the danger of having a gas stove in the home, which can also emit carcinogenic toxins that put people at risk of severe health effects.
Brady Seals, manager of the carbon free buildings program at RMI, who led the research, said the study proved that by getting rid of gas stoves, the proportion of children being diagnosed with asthma could be reduced by 12.7 percent.
The researchers from Colorado as well as Australia and New York analyzed the risk posed to children from gas emissions and the proportion of American households that have gas stoves, concluding that using gas greatly increased the risk of asthma.
The authors relied on 2019 census data to determine what proportion of American children are exposed to asthma-causing toxins produced by gas stoves, borrowing methodology from a 2018 analysis that found 12.3 percent of pediatric asthma cases in Australia were attributable to cooking on gas ranges.
Richard Trumka Jr., an agency commissioner, said potential regulations would only ‘apply to new products’
In some states, the proportion of childhood asthma cases linked to gas ranges is even higher than the nationwide average. Illinois had the highest PAF number at more than 21 percent, while New York’s came in at nearly 19 percent.
‘Said another way, if we theoretically got rid of all the gas stoves in NY, we could prevent an estimated 18.8% of childhood asthma,’ Ms Seals said.
Children living in homes with gas stoves are also 42 percent more likely to have asthma, according to a 2013 report.
Gas stoves introduce toxic pollutants into the air even when they are turned off. Cooking on a gas range creates nitrogen dioxide, a known precipitator of asthma.
In fact, in 2019 alone, nearly two million cases of childhood asthma were estimated to be due to nitrogen dioxide poisoning.
That is the same pollutant associated with major highways. But because of the more enclosed nature of an indoor room when compared to outside, the pollution in a gas stove kitchen could be stronger than it is on a major freeway.
Gas stoves can also emit methane, which can cause a person to have trouble breathing and cause a rapid heartbeat.
Benzene may also leak from switched-off gas stoves. The chemical has been linked to the development of multiple cancers – though experts believe the amount leaked by stoves is not enough to pose serious danger.
Previous studies have found that gas stoves also give off hexane, which is known to cause permanent weakness and nerve damage in the feet, legs and hands of people who suffer long-term exposure.
Nearly 13 per cent of asthma cases in children on average can be blamed on the toxins produced by gas ranges. That is considerably higher in several states for which data was available including California, Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania
Gas stove manufacturers argue that they are just as harmful as other means of cooking
But gas stove manufacturers say they are just as harmful as other means of cooking and should not be banned.
The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, which represents companies like Whirlpool Corp, said in a statement that cooking of any kind produces emissions and harmful byproducts.
‘Ventilation is really where this discussion should be, rather than banning one particular type of technology,’ Jill Notini, the group’s vice president 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.’
Natural gas distributors also argue that a ban on natural gas stoves would drive up costs for homeowners and restaurants with little environmental gain.
The American Gas Association, for example, said that regulatory agencies have presented no documented evidence linking breathing problems to gas stoves.
‘The US Consumer Product Safety Commission and EPA do not present gas ranges as a significant contributor to adverse air quality or hath hazard in their technical or public information literature, guidance or requirements,’ said Karen Harbert, the president.
‘The most practical, realistic way to achieve a sustainable future where energy is clean, as well as safe, reliable and affordable, is to ensure it includes natural gas and the infrastructure that transports it.’
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
