Elected Officials’ Response to CPSC Gas Stoves Request for Information

Docket No. CPSC-2023-0009

Dear Chair Hoehn-Saric,

As elected officials from across the country, we write to support the efforts of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to investigate the chronic hazards associated with gas ranges and proposed solutions to those hazards. 

The science behind the concerns about gas stove pollution is decades long and growing. Cooking with gas can produce air pollution levels indoors that would exceed outdoor standards. That means that doing something as simple and innocuous as making a meal can release pollutants into our homes that some studies show lead to the development of asthma, especially in children, and may worsen symptoms for those with preexisting respiratory illnesses. 

And yet, most people still think cooking with gas is the best option. Popular culture says gas is superior — that “real chefs” would only use gas stoves. That’s because gas companies have marketed the products in ways that extoll the virtues of gas stoves, without adequately acknowledging the potential health risks. As a result, consumers are not warned of the risks when they purchase a gas stove. While proper ventilation is important for reducing exposure to indoor air pollution, ventilation is not universally required for installing a gas stove, and many people who have ventilation don’t use it every time they cook.

Today, nearly a third of American households have a gas stove. That’s millions of households potentially being exposed to toxic pollutants every time they make a meal — and running a gas stove for even just one hour can lead to pollutant levels that exceed health-based standards. 

We encourage the CPSC to consider the levels and effects on nitrogen dioxide (NO2), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide (CO), benzene and all pollutants that recent research has indicated are associated with burning gas in stoves. The CPSC should also consider the disproportionate impacts felt by vulnerable populations, including children, older Americans, lower-income families and people of color. 

Thank you for your work to protect American consumers and for the opportunity to provide these comments.

Sincerely,

Councilmember Heather Jefts

Cedar Park, Texas

Councilmember Sudhanshu Jain

Santa Clara, California

Councilmember Stephanie Hellman

Fairfax, California

Councilmember Kellie Hinze

Encinitas, California

Councilmember Victor Aguilar, Jr.

San Leandro, California

Vice Mayor Eli H. Beckman

Corte Madera, California

Councilmember Max Perrey

Mill Valley, California

Mayor Ariel Kelley

Healdsburg, California

Councilmember Kate Harrison

Berkeley, California

Councilmember George Syrop

Hayward, California

Vice Mayor Gayle McLaughlin 

Richmond, California

Councilmember Harvey Rarback

Half Moon Bay, California

Mayor Jen Wolosin

Menlo Park, California

Councilmember David Cohen

San Jose, California

Councilmember Caroline Torosis

Santa Monica, California

Councilmember Cesar Zepeda

Richmond, California

Mayor Chance Cutrano

Fairfax, California

Mayor John J. Bauters

Emeryville, California

Councilmember Maria Doerr

Menlo Park, California

Mayor Alison Hicks

Mountain View, California

Councilmember Kathy Watanabe

Santa Clara, California

Mayor Jennifer Cavenaugh

Piedmont, California

Mayor Alex Walker-Griffin

Hercules, California

Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia

Richmond, California

Councilmember Daniel Goldstein

Hayward, California

Councilmember Jesse Zwick

Santa Monica, California

Councilmember Christine Boles

Pacifica, California

Councilmember Betsy Nash

Menlo Park, California

Councilmember Rigel Robinson

Berkeley, California

Assemblymember Phil Ting

San Francisco, California

Councilmember Carlos Romero

East Palo Alto, California

Councilmember Dan Kalb

Oakland, California

Councilmember James Coleman

City of South San Francisco, California

Mayor Sally Meadows

Los Altos, California

State Senator Scott Weiner

California, Senate District 11

Councilmember Preston Jordan

Albany, California

Councilmember Terrell Kullaway

San Anselmo, California

State Representative Maurice West

Illinois

State Representative Lindsey LaPointe

Chicago, Illinois

State Representative Kelly Cassidy

Chicago, Illinois

Massachusetts Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Creem

Newton, Massachusetts