Healthy Indoors Magazine
Issue link: https://hi.healthyindoors.com/i/1491713
20 | January 2023 Gas Stoves Continued from previous page The head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced earlier this month that the agency had no plans to ban gas stoves. "There has been a lot of attention paid to gas stove emissions and to the Consumer Product Safety Commis- sion," said CPSC Chair Alexander Hoehn-Saric. "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 explor- ing new ways to address health risks," he said. "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 emis- sions and potential solutions for reducing any associated risks. This is par t of our product safety mission — learning about hazards and working to make products safer." Before joining the CPSC, Hoehn-Saric was Chief Coun- sel for Communications and Consumer Protection with the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy & Commerce. In this role, he served as the chief legal advisor on the Committee on consumer product safety, auto safety, consumer protection, privacy, broadband, and other com- munications issues. During his tenure, Hoehn-Saric was instrumental in oversight of consumer product safety mat- ters and drafting legislation to increase the authority and resources for the CPSC. CPSC has the authority to regulate products that pose an unreasonable risk of injury. The commission must protect families from gas stove pollution by implementing common- sense standards for these appliances, including: • Requiring gas stoves to be sold with range hoods that meet mandatory performance standards • Issuing mandatory performance standards for gas stoves that address methane leakage, including re- quiring automatic shut-off valves • Issuing mandatory performance standards for gas stoves that address the health impacts of hazardous emissions • Requiring labels on gas stoves that educate consum- ers about their exposure risks • Launching a public education campaign on the health risks of cooking with a gas stove and steps that consumers can take to minimize their risk CPSC Plans Gas Stove Research, No Ban