Lake County Gazette

Illinois State Representative Brad Halbrook mocked an alleged push by the U.S. Consumer Production Safety Commission to ban gas stoves due to rising concern about potential indoor air pollutants in a Facebook post published on Friday.

"The stove police are ready to pounce," Halbrook wrote alongside an edited photo of police officers surrounding a gas stove.

Halbrook believes that millions of Americans will disagree with the USCPSC's move, as gas stoves are popular among many due to them supposedly making food taste better and being cheap to install and operate.

According to USAToday, over 40 million U.S. homes use gas stoves, which produce air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and fine particulate matter at levels that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and World Health Organization (WHO) have deemed unsafe and linked to medical issues such as respiratory disease, heart issues and cancer.

In a letter published on December 21 and addressed to USCPSC chair Alexander Hoehn-Saric, Senators Cory Booker (D) and Elizabeth Warren (D), among other lawmakers, argued that Black, Latino and low-income households are more likely to be impacted by the effects of gas stove-related pollutants because they're either more likely to live near outdoor air pollution sources as well or are in a poorly-ventilated home.