US 21 States Pass Bills to Block Usage Ban
"US Scientific Community Has Recommended Ban Since 1980s"
Biden Administration Hesitates... "Does Not Support Ban"
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Since the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced it was considering banning the use of gas ranges for health reasons, conservative groups, mainly within the U.S. Republican Party, have strongly opposed the move. In 21 states controlled by Republicans, numerous bills have been passed to block the ban on gas range usage, and political figures have voiced opposition, calling it excessive regulation by the Biden administration, making it a central issue in political disputes.
Energy industry groups such as the American Petroleum Institute (API) have also strongly opposed the measure. As the Biden administration has shown signs of backing down by stating it will not support the ban, the controversy is expected to intensify. Some analysts predict that backlash against the Biden administration and the Democratic Party’s overall pro-environment policy stance will grow even stronger.
"The government has no right to decide how families cook dinner at home"
According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 12th (local time), 21 states where the Republican Party controls the state government and legislature have passed bills to block the ban on gas range usage one after another. Republicans argue that the Biden administration and Democrats considering a ban on gas ranges is excessive regulation and are appealing to their base to prevent it.
Republican Congressman Ronny Jackson started a petition on his Twitter, stating, "We must stop Biden’s attempt to ban gas ranges."
The American Petroleum Institute (API), a coalition of major energy companies, also voiced strong opposition to the regulation. Mike Sommers, API president, said at a press conference, "Gas ranges are currently used in about 40 million households in the U.S., which is more than 35% of all households. People like gas ranges," adding, "It is hard to imagine the government banning their use in this situation, and this issue should be decided by Congress."
Democratic Senator Joe Manchin also posted on Twitter opposing the ban on gas ranges. He called it "a disastrous recipe" and strongly criticized, "The federal government has no authority to interfere with how Americans cook at home." The White House also drew a line through the issue in a spokesperson’s statement that day, saying, "President Biden has not supported a ban on gas ranges."
Earlier, Richard Trumka, a CPSC commissioner who had expressed support for reviewing a ban on gas ranges, reversed his position. He emphasized on his Twitter, "To be clear, the CPSC will not touch anyone’s gas range." He had previously sparked controversy by stating in a Bloomberg interview on the 9th that gas ranges posed "hidden dangers" and that "unsafe products could be considered for a ban."
"U.S. scientific community recommended ban since the 1980s... blocked by energy industry lobbying"
Some argue that the controversy over banning gas ranges has actually been raised by the U.S. environmental and scientific communities since the 1980s but has repeatedly been blocked by lobbying from the energy industry.
According to The Washington Post (WP), scientists at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have raised concerns to the U.S. government since 1986 about bronchial health deterioration and air pollution caused by gas range use. The proportion of childhood asthma cases in the U.S. attributed to gas ranges is 12.7%, comparable to exposure to secondhand smoke, and methane released into the air even when gas ranges are turned off is critically harmful to global warming.
WP reported, "Because the EPA did not have the authority to review a ban on gas ranges in homes, it urged the CPSC to conduct the review. However, opposition from groups such as the American Public Gas Association (APGA) and API has prevented a proper review of a ban for nearly 40 years." Conversely, WP pointed out that the APGA emphasizes that gas is a less harmful and more affordable energy source compared to other fossil fuels and is even running campaigns to that effect.
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