In late December, NPGA became aware that one of the four sitting commissioners of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was interested in the emissions profiles of gas v. electric stoves. This position likely stemmed, in part, from a letter to the CPSC penned by Senators Booker (D-NJ) and Beyer (D-VA) urging action and calling gas-stove emissions a “cumulative burden” on Black, Latino and low-income households that disproportionately experience air pollution.
On January 9, that same CPSC Commissioner conducted an interview with Bloomberg where he stated: “This is a hidden hazard. Any option is on the table. Products that can’t be made safe can be banned.” Less than 48 hours later, however, the Chair of the CPSC backtracked, to an extent. His statement in full reads:
Over the past several days, there has been a lot of attention paid to gas stove emissions and to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Research indicates that emissions from gas stoves can be hazardous, and the CPSC is looking for ways to reduce related indoor air quality hazards. But to be clear, I am not looking to ban gas stoves and the CPSC has no proceeding to do so. CPSC is researching gas emissions in stoves and exploring new ways to address health risks. CPSC also is actively engaged in strengthening voluntary safety standards for gas stoves. And later this spring, we will be asking the public to provide us with information about gas stove emissions and potential solutions for reducing any associated risks. This is part of our product safety mission – learning about hazards and working to make products safer.
While the CPSC Chair’s statement is clear that they “are not looking to ban gas stoves” at present, NPGA will engage diligently to ensure it does not happen and that onerous limitations or restrictions are not added. The CPSC will undoubtedly still seek input this spring and NPGA is poised to represent the propane industry. In late December, we commenced our work to combat what we perceived as a threat. We quickly connected with coalition partners, primarily in the natural gas and home appliance manufacturers spaces. We began digging into scientific data and scope of CPSC authority to plan a two-fold response: scientific and legal. And we are engaging with Congress to ensure that we have allies on Capitol Hill.
If you have any specific questions, please contact Steve Kaminski, NPGA President and CEO at SKaminski@npga.org
