New York City is set to implement a regulation next month aimed at reducing emissions from coal and wood-fired stoves.
The regulation will notably affect over a hundred establishments, including many pizzerias.
The mandate necessitates installing a filter system to cut emissions by 75%, a requirement that comes with a substantial cost of approximately $20,000 per filter.
Councilmember Justin Brannan proposes a tax credit for affected businesses to alleviate the financial strain, emphasizing the initiative’s intent to lower emissions without penalizing small businesses.
“If the goal here is truly to reduce the emissions produced by these old school ovens and not to raise revenue by issuing more fines to our beloved small businesses, then let’s help these pizzerias comply instead of setting them up to fail,” Brannan articulated, highlighting the importance of supporting the city’s eateries in their transition.
Burning coal and wood has a significant environmental impact. Wood combustion generates two-and-a-half times the carbon emissions of natural gas, and coal doubles that of natural gas.
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) spokesperson told the New York Post, “The scientific evidence is clear that reducing emissions of fine particulate matter will improve the health of New Yorkers and reduce hospital visits and costs, without changing the amazing taste of NYC pizza.”
The move is in response to findings that commercial kitchens are a major source of pollution in New York City, contributing to elevated levels of particulate matter and other pollutants.
With the city’s NYC Community Air Survey highlighting the pollution levels around restaurant-dense areas, experts like Marianthi-Anna Kioumourtzoglou from Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health underscore the urgency in addressing emissions from these sources.
Kioumourtzoglou said, “We know that these [restaurants] are emitting a lot and contributing to the city’s pollution.”
According to New York City pizza historian Scott Wiener, the filter system’s high cost has made it highly unpopular among pizzerias.
Wiener noted, “It definitely will be a burden for pizzerias.”
Despite the law taking effect on April 27, the DEP said it won’t issue fines until 2025.
“All New Yorkers deserve to breathe healthy air, and wood- and coal-fired stoves are among the largest contributors of harmful pollutants in neighborhoods with poor air quality,” stated DEP spokesperson Ted Timbers.
