Manchin blasts proposed gas stove ban: ‘Recipe for disaster’

Breanne Deppisch

January 10, 04:29 PM January 10, 04:29 PM

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Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) took aim Tuesday at the news that a federal agency is weighing plans to ban natural gas stoves, a move that he described as a “recipe for disaster.”

“The federal government has no business telling American families how to cook their dinner,” Manchin tweeted. “I can tell you the last thing that would ever leave my house is the gas stove that we cook on.”

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Manchin’s tweet follows the news the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is considering new regulations on gas stoves, including a possible ban on the popular kitchen appliances, due to studies that show a link between the stoves and harmful air pollutants.

Gas stoves, which are used in roughly 40% of U.S. homes and are favored by many cooks, have been found to emit air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and other particulate matter at levels deemed unsafe by the Environmental Protection Agency and World Health Organization.

Gas stove pollution has also been linked to roughly 12.7% of childhood asthma cases in the United States, according to a study published late last month — a level of exposure similar to the childhood asthma burden attributed to secondhand smoke exposure.

In October, the commission issued a request for information and public data on hazards associated with natural gas stoves, as well as input for proposed solutions.

The agency has not proposed any new regulatory actions, a spokesperson for the agency told the Washington Examiner.

But Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. has said it is necessary to regulate or ban the use of natural gas stoves.

He described the pollutants as a “hidden hazard” in an interview this week and told Bloomberg that the commission is planning to take action to address the pollutants, which have been linked to asthma and other respiratory problems.

“Any option is on the table,” he said. “Products that can’t be made safe can be banned.”

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Last month, he also told reporters that the ban on new gas stoves was a “real possibility.”

Given enough public pressure, he said, the agency “could get a regulation on the books before this time next year.”