U.S. Federal Agency Mulls Ban On Gas Stoves

A federal agency is considering a ban on gas stoves, a source of indoor pollution linked to childhood asthma, Ramishah Maruf and Ella Nilsen reported for CNN.

Photo Insert: A study found that almost 13% of current childhood asthma in the US is attributable to gas stove use.

In an interview with Bloomberg, a US Consumer Product Safety (CPSC) commissioner said gas stove usage is a hidden hazard.

“Any option is on the table. Products that can’t be made safe can be banned,” agency commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. told Bloomberg. The report said the agency plans “to take action” to address the indoor pollution caused by stoves.

A December 2022 study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JERPH) found that indoor gas stove usage is associated with an increased risk of current asthma among children.

The study found that almost 13% of current childhood asthma in the US is attributable to gas stove use. Some cities across the US banned natural gas hookups in all new building construction to reduce greenhouse emissions – Berkeley in 2019, San Francisco in 2020, New York City in 2021.

But as of last February, 20 states with GOP-controlled legislatures have passed so-called “preemption laws” that prohibit cities from banning natural gas.

Trumka told Bloomberg the agency plans to open public comment on gas stove hazards. Options besides a ban include “setting standards on emissions from the appliances.”

Thirty-five percent of households in the US use a gas stove, and the number approaches 70% in some states like California and New Jersey.

Other studies have found these stoves emit significant levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide and fine particulate matter – which without proper ventilation can raise the levels of indoor concentration levels to unsafe levels as deemed by the EPA.

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