Contrary to Sen. Heinrich a New study finds gas stoves are safe, Federal regulations being contemplated regardless

As you can see in the recent tweet (below) New Mexico’s senior senator Martin Heinrich (D) is laser focused on eliminating gas stoves. He tweets about the issue constantly and in this post compares gas stoves to tobacco companies.

But Heinrich is wrong on the science. A new literature review of gas stoves on the topic of gas cooking and indoor air quality has been released. The topline conclusion is: Cooking with natural gas is safe and is “not a significant determinant of residential indoor air quality.”

A few additional details include:

• Indoor air quality is impacted far more by the act of cooking than the fuel you use to cook it, and the most effective method to protect health is to provide proper ventilation during cooking.
• Many additional factors influence the nature and extent of emissions during cooking, including the type of food, the oils used in cooking, cooking temperatures and time, and proper ventilation.
• Reports linking gas cooking to negative health outcomes often rely on analyses that do not make that connection.

Nevertheless, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission has just announced that the Commission has approved the Federal Register notice of the Request For Information (RFI) seeking public input on chronic hazards associated with gas stoves. This is not a regulatory option, but it is often a prelude to that type of regulation.