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After taking heat this week over the Biden administration’s proposal to phase out gas appliances, Wisconsin small business owners warned that regulators’ actions could cost lives in the coldest part of America.
“We live in a small town of 2,500 people in the city, and then we’ve got a big lot about 40 miles from the local grocery store. We just had two feet of snow and people weren’t allowed to go outside. We had power outages, and luckily people had their stoves on. They had a gas stove in their home that they used for heat for three days, said Holly Duffy, owner of Northwoods Stove & Fireplace, with her husband, Brian, on “Fox & Friends Weekend” Sunday.
Holly and Brian, who have been operating their store in Hayward, Wisconsin, since 2000, said the federal government has tried to pass legislation to curb the use of wood stoves. Now the pair are opposing a possible nationwide ban on gas stoves.
The Biden administration sparked outrage over gas stoves last week when the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said it was considering banning the device due to health and safety concerns. Recent reports from the World Health Organization and Environmental Protection Agency He pointed out that carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions from gas stoves cause cardiovascular problems, cancer and other health problems.
Consumer watchdog ‘No gas stove coming for anyone’
The White House announced on Wednesday. Biden does not support a ban. On gas stoves.
Business owners Holly and Brian said the Biden administration is “daring” to spend the winter in Hayward.
“We moved a month ago, our daughter was home and we had three gas stoves in the house. They didn’t have power and the house was 70 degrees. But guess what? My electric refrigerator didn’t work. She had to throw it all away. The food was out,” Brian explained. “And the people who live well in the bonnies, if you want to call it that, have no warmth and no one to help them.”
They also raised concerns about residential subdivisions being built without gas lines in the city of Madison, so families have no choice between gas and electricity.
“I just think it’s wrong,” Holly said. “It reminds me of coverage policies. In the United States, we’re all different … so it’s like the COVID vaccine isn’t for everyone. Well, electricity isn’t for everyone.”
About 35% of homes in America use gas furnaces, and the Energy Information Agency estimates that more than 40 million Americans use the appliance.
“Under President Biden’s leadership, natural gas production is at an all-time high and is expected to continue to grow,” the White House told FOX Business earlier.
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Faced with questions from reporters on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karen Jean-Pierre added that the CPSC is an independent body and that the White House “has not been in touch with them on this matter.”
“The president does not support banning gas stoves. And the Consumer Product Safety Commission does not ban independent gas stoves,” she said.
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Fox Business’ Chris Pandolfo and Andrew Murray contributed to this report.
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