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State Rep Anne Stava-Murray’s, D-Downers Grove, House Bill 3572
would require all new gas stoves sold in the state starting in
2024 to have a warning label detailing the asthma risks
associated with gas stove emissions.
“This bill is not about restricting people's choices,” Stava-Murray
said during a news conference Wednesday. “On the contrary, it's
about helping them make the best choices for themselves and
their family.”
She added that this is a labeling bill and does not ban gas
stoves or prevent anyone from buying gas stoves.
A recent analysis by Catalyst Environmental Solutions concluded
that natural gas-powered stoves are not a significant
determinant of residential indoor air quality. It concluded that
existing research doesn’t establish a significant connection
between respiratory illness and gas stove usage.
“While combustion emissions from gas ranges, ovens, and cooktops
can contribute to some degree to emissions of recognized
pollutants, there are no documented risks to respiratory health
from natural gas stoves from the regulatory and advisory
agencies and organizations responsible for protecting
residential consumer health and safety,” CEO Karen Harbert of
the American Gas Association said. “Furthermore, the U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission and EPA do not present gas
ranges as a significant contributor to adverse air quality or
health hazards in their technical or public information
literature, guidance, or requirements.”
The gas stove debate began earlier this year when Richard Trumka,
Jr., a U.S. Consumer Product Safety commissioner, said in an
interview that gas stoves posed a “hidden hazard” and suggested
the agency could ban them.
John Spake is the president of the Comstock-Castle Stove Company
in Quincy, which has been in business since the 1830s
manufacturing mostly commercial equipment. He said his company
already puts a potential cancer warning label on their equipment
due to a California regulation.
“It will be just another warning sticker and government
regulation on our business,” Spake said in a statement to The
Center Square.
Kevin Bessler reports on statewide issues in
Illinois for the Center Square. He has over 30 years of
experience in radio news reporting throughout the Midwest.
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