The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
‘Eager to reduce toxins in the home’
Legislation seeks to create air quality standards for gas stoves and appliances in Connecticut
A new bill in the Connecticut General Assembly proposes to set emissions standards for natural gas stoves and other natural gas appliances.
If passed, the bill would also establish a loan fund for the replacement of gas appliances. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, roughly 30% of homes in Connecticut have a natural gas cooking appliance.
The bill, introduced by Rep. Jonathan Steinberg of Westport, comes at a time when there is increasing scrutiny on the air quality impacts of gas stoves. A recent study has estimated that roughly 13% of childhood asthma cases in the United States can be attributed to air pollution from gas stoves. In response the US Consumer Product Safety Commission is considering banning gas stoves.
“We’re very sensitive to the high rates of asthma in our inner cities in Connecticut,” said Rep Steinberg. “Much of it, as we know, is related to pollution that’s coming from farther west that carries to our area but we’re obviously eager to reduce toxins in the home in any way we can.”
The California Air Resources Board, a national leader in air quality research and regulation, has long tracked the impact of indoor cooking emissions on air quality. Their research has found that gas stoves generate more ultrafine “black carbon” particulate pollution than other cooking techniques. Other pollutants include nitrous oxide, a lung irritant, and cancer-causing benzene and explosive methane from leaky gas pipes.
These air quality impacts are increased when there isn’t adequate ventilation or hood filtration in
a kitchen. Gas leaks can also cause indoor air quality, and safety issues. Most of these pollutants have no scent and aren’t visible so there would be no warning of buildup in aho me.
“Your average gas range puts out a lot of toxins and we have a lot of older homes here in Connecticut, we have pretty aged housing infrastructure and a lot of kitchens aren’t well vented,” said Steinberg. “These toxins have no scent and it’s not evident that they are building up in your home.”
This bill also com esata time when right wing politicians and commentators are attempting to make gas stoves a culture war issue. Fox News Host Sean Hannity said that that Biden was “coming for your stove.”
Steinberg said that the bill was in no way related to the recent, national discussions of gas stoves.
“That’s some sort of national political agenda and that’s not something I want to get in the middle of,” he said. “We want to have a thoughtful conversation about standards. I hope the national debate does not contaminate our discussion.”