Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown joined 10 other state AGs in a letter calling on federal officials to address health & safety risks of gas stoves.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown co-signed a letter with 10 other state AGs calling on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to do more to address health and safety risks related to gas stoves. This is the latest move in an ongoing national debate about the future of natural gas. Last week MACo published a deep dive on how the industry is testing strategies to overturn local gas bans.
In their letter, the Attorneys General cite years of evidence going back as far as 1985 showing CPCS and others have had concerns regarding health risks associated with gas stoves. Yet the Attorneys General purport that this information has not been well disseminated amongst the public,
Most of the research and evidence on the health risks associated with elevated levels of emissions from gas appliances has been circulated among decisionmakers and engaged stakeholders. This has left the public to try to piece together health and safety information— which can be false or misleading—from the internet, social media, and other non-authoritative sources. Thus, when it comes to gas stove emissions, consumers are presently unprotected against, and inadequately informed about, the health hazards these appliances pose.
While it is not in the purview for the CPSC to outright ban the use of natural gas, the agency does have extraordinary powers when it comes to requiring warning labels and other public information campaigns. The 10 AGs urged for a more aggressive push to inform the public and require product labeling that outlines the associated risks of using natural gas.
The States applaud the CPSC’s efforts to gather additional information about the health hazards posed by gas stoves and potential pathways for mitigating those hazards. We urge the CPSC to use the data it is developing to promptly initiate proceedings that will result in standards and requirements needed to protect the health and safety of U.S. consumers. In addition, raising awareness about the health hazards associated with gas stove use and the importance of using ventilation is essential so that consumers, including those in underserved communities where adverse impacts may be disproportionally greater, can make properly informed decisions regarding the health risks of purchasing a gas stove.
