(TheRedWire.com) – Nine states, along with the cities of New York and Washington, D.C., sent a letter to the Consumer Product Safety Commission calling for regulations to be imposed on gas stoves.
In the letter, the state and city attorneys general are pushing for “voluntary standards or mandatory regulations” that would help reduce the “harmful pollutants” being emitted from gas stoves. They further note that mandatory standards are preferred over voluntary recommendations, which is why they would like such standards to be placed on ventilation and emissions of pollutants. It is specifically stated that voluntary standards would only stall the process of setting up the necessary adequate standards to protect consumers’ health.
Health concerns about gas stoves have particularly increased following several studies that connected them to asthma and leaks of cancer-causing benzene. In December Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. stated that this request was going to be the first step towards enacting regulations and that a ban would potentially come in the future.
The idea of gas stoves being banned has been slammed by Republicans. Commissioner Alexander Hoehn-Saric, who chairs the panel, openly spoke up against a possible ban. While commissioners are appointed by the President, with the commission currently being made up of three Biden appointees and one Trump appointee, the panel is meant to act independently.
President Biden has also expressed disapproval of a possible ban.
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