DENVER — The debate over the gas stove inside your home is headed to court.
Lawmakers passed a new Colorado law requiring safety labels on new gas stoves being sold. The law would require labels in both English and Spanish. Advocates say this would help people understand the impact of gas stoves on the air quality inside their homes.
On the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) website, the agency shared:
- “There is evidence that particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, benzene, formaldehyde, and methane can be released into indoor air from gas stoves.1"
- "According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air pollutants can build up to levels that may affect people’s health if the space is not properly ventilated.2”
If a company doesn't comply with the safety label requirement, they could face a $20,000 penalty for deceptive trade practices, according to the new law.
Two days after CDPHE posted about the gas stoves, the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) filed an emergency injunction. It was filed the same day the law was supposed to go into effect.
The association argued the law violated the first amendment, writing “Colorado’s new law would force retailers and manufacturers to stigmatize their own products”
AHAM also questioned the science behind the new law.
Denver7 took those concerns to CDPHE but a spokesperson said the agency can’t respond because of the on-going legal process.
So we asked CU Boulder Associate Professor Marina Vance, with expertise in mechanical and environmental engineering.
She wrote:
“It is difficult to gather population-wide scientific data on indoor air quality and the health effects of indoor air pollutants because the conditions of every home in the country is so variable. Things like ventilation conditions, air tightness, building materials, and the types activities people do indoors are all highly variable from home to home. But we know that gas stoves emit gas pollutants like nitrogen oxides and very small particles, both of which can be respiratory irritants if not properly ventilated.”
The Colorado Attorney General's Office said it can't enforce the law until the court rules on the preliminary injunction motion. The next court deadline is at the end of the month.
