FORT MYERS
Rumors are rife about gas stoves and burners. About one-third of U.S. kitchens have appliances, and now some say the White House is about to take them away.
The latest rumors stem from a statement made by Fox News talk show host Sean Hannity on January 9.
“Now Biden is coming not only for your paycheck, but also for your stove. You heard me right,” Hannity said during his show. “The White House is now trying to ban all gas stoves and burners; it’s like half the country.”
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is investigating emissions from gas stoves and looking for ways to reduce air quality hazards. However, the agency is not seeking a ban on gas stoves.
Gas stoves are not without risk. In fact, several members of Congress, including Representative Gwen Moore of Wisconsin, wrote a letter to the CPSC in December saying that these emissions pose a real health risk to millions.
In addition, CBS News found the 2022 study the journal Environmental Science & Technology says that US gas stoves release 2.6 million tons of methane into the air every year.
In spite of this, the chairman of the Commission, Alyaksandr Khoen-Sarich, made it clear that his team does not seek to ban gas kitchen appliances.
He wrotespecifically, “CPSC investigates gas emissions from stoves and explores new ways to eliminate health risks. . . . It’s part of our product safety mission to study hazards and work to make products safer.”
I want to set the record straight.
Contrary to recent media reports, I am not going to ban gas stoves, etc @USCPSC does not have a procedure for this. Read my statement in full: pic.twitter.com/bYS1GLEpXP
— Alex Hoehn-Saric (@HoehnSaricCPSC) January 11, 2023
It is important to note that the bans and regulations only apply to new products. In other words, items that are already in people’s homes will stay there.
Chairman Alyaksandr Hohen-Sarich announced that the commission would seek public input on the matter in the spring.
