[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 7, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14150-14152]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-04554]


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CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION

[Docket No. CPSC-2023-0009]


Request for Information on Chronic Hazards Associated With Gas 
Ranges and Proposed Solutions

AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.

ACTION: Notice of request for information.

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SUMMARY: The Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC) is 
publishing this notice to request information on chronic hazards 
associated with gas ranges and proposed solutions to those hazards.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted by May 8, 2023.

ADDRESSES: You can submit comments, identified by Docket No. CPSC-2023-
0009, by any of the following methods:
    Electronic Submissions: Submit electronic comments to 
www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. 
Do not submit through this website: confidential business information, 
trade secret information, or other sensitive or protected information 
that you do not want to be available to the public. CPSC typically does 
not accept comments submitted by email, except as described below.
    Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier/Confidential Written Submissions: CPSC 
encourages you to submit electronic comments by using 
www.regulations.gov. You may, however, submit comments by mail, hand 
delivery, or courier to: Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product 
Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814; 
telephone: (301) 504-7479.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and 
docket number. CPSC may post all comments without change, including any 
personal identifiers, contact information, or other personal 
information provided to www.regulations.gov. If you wish to submit 
confidential business information, trade secret information, or other 
sensitive or protected information that you do not want to be available 
to the public, you may submit such comments by mail, hand delivery, or 
courier, or you may email them to: [email protected].
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to www.regulations.gov, and insert the docket 
number, CPSC-2023-0009, into the ``Search'' box, and follow the 
prompts.

I. Background

    Gas ranges are large residential appliances used to cook food, 
where the energy needed to heat the food is generated by the burning of 
a gas fuel such as natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).\1\ Gas 
ranges are also sometimes referred to as, or include, gas stoves, gas 
cooktops, gas stovetops, and gas ovens.
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    \1\ LPG contains a mix of flammable simple hydrocarbon gases, 
primarily propane but also butane, isobutane, propylene, and 
butylene.
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    This request for information (RFI) \2\ seeks input from the public 
on chronic chemical hazards from gas ranges. Chemical hazards result in 
acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term) adverse health outcomes 
resulting from exposures to chemical substances. This RFI does not 
cover non-chemical (i.e., fire, electrical mechanical) hazards, except 
as relevant to chemical hazard issues such as solutions and potential 
trade-offs, nor does it cover acute chemical hazards (e.g., carbon 
monoxide (CO) poisoning). This RFI does not constitute or propose 
regulatory action, but rather is intended to inform the Commission and 
the public.
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    \2\ The Commission voted 3-1 to approve publication of this 
notice. Chair Hoehn-Saric, Commissioners Trumka and Boyle voted to 
approve publication of the notice as drafted. Commissioner Feldman 
voted to not approve publication of the notice. Commissioner Trumka 
issued a statement in connection with his vote available at: https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/RCA-Draft-Federal-Register-Notice-Request-for-information-on-chronic-hazards-associated-with-gas-ranges-and-proposed-solutions.pdf?VersionId=_t7VvFidNZttG3UoRVYuwJEVxioilrtS.
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II. Information Requested

    CPSC is requesting information from all stakeholders such as 
consumers, manufacturers, government agencies, non-governmental 
organizations, and researchers on chronic chemical hazards associated 
with the use of gas ranges, and proposed solutions. The Commission 
seeks comment on all significant aspects of this issue, including but 
not limited to the following questions.
    Question 1: Please provide information related to the scope and 
scale of potential chronic chemical

[[Page 14151]]

hazards, exposures, and risks associated with gas range use.
    (a) Please provide information related to habits and practices 
surrounding consumers' use of gas ranges in residential settings. How 
many U.S. homes have gas ranges? What is the duration of gas range 
usage per cooking event, per day (i.e., minutes to hours)? How many 
days per week/year is a gas range used? Provide information on 
infrequent, high-end usage events such as using the oven-cleaning cycle 
or preparing for large holiday gatherings.
    (b) Please provide information on related (non-cookware) products 
used in conjunction with gas ranges and their frequency of use. 
Examples of related products of interest are range hoods (in general), 
CO alarms, smoke alarms, chemical sensors other than CO, portable air 
filters, etc.
    (c) Please provide information on the naming/definition, 
requirements for, frequency of use, and performance of different kinds 
of range hoods (i.e., external venting, recirculating, wall-mounted 
canopy, under-cabinet, microwave/combo, island/ceiling, or retractable 
downdraft, etc.).
    (d) Please provide information on the frequency of occurrence of 
reported gas leaks associated with gas range defects or related 
equipment or installation defects.
    (e) Please provide details on chronic chemical hazards associated 
with gas range use. Specify the nature of the chronic chemical hazard, 
the brand of gas range (if available), and additional context for 
settings and conditions related to exposures if available.
    (f) Please provide any additional information not requested above 
related to the scale and scope of potential chronic chemical hazards 
associated with gas range use.
    Question 2: Please provide information related to data sources and 
approaches CPSC should consider when completing an evaluation of 
chronic chemical hazards, exposures, and risks related to gas range 
use.
    (a) Please provide product testing information or studies that 
describe the emissions of chemical substances from gas ranges over 
time, including average and peak levels where available. Provide 
supporting information on sampling and analytical methods. Examples of 
such information include environmental conditions, and other material 
test information for laboratory-based environmental chamber testing and 
field-based testing in a representative home environment, such as 
temperature, humidity, chamber ventilation, heating, ventilation, air 
conditioning (HVAC), leakage in and out of the chamber or home, mixing 
characteristics, chamber and/or representative home dimensions and 
characteristics, emissions measurements, measurement methods, computer 
modeling, post processing methods, product use variations, sample 
locations, fuel pressure, and fuel composition.
    (b) Please provide product testing information or studies 
characterizing differences in product performance, design, or 
compliance over time and related impacts on emissions of chemical 
substances from the gas ranges. If available, provide supporting 
information on sampling and analytical methods. If available, identify 
the relevant product safety standard(s) the product met, with revision/
edition (e.g., ANSI Z21.1-2000 or other international standards).
    (c) Please provide product testing information that explores the 
impact that using different gas fuel sources has on emitted chemical 
substances. If available, provide supporting information on sampling 
and analytical methods.
    (d) Please provide research that explores the relationship between 
emissions from gas ranges and indoor air quality. This includes 
experimental chamber or observational field studies that reflect 
environmental air monitoring of chemical substances during and after 
gas range use and/or modeled estimates of indoor air concentrations 
based on chamber emission data. If available, provide average and peak 
levels and supporting information on methods.
    (e) Please provide studies that explore the relationship between 
the use, presence, or emissions from gas ranges and associated human 
health effects. This includes epidemiological studies that summarize 
exposures to gas ranges and observed health effects. If available, 
please provide test methods and raw data as well as the context and 
examples of the studies.
    (f) Please provide summaries of completed or ongoing research that 
produces information that can be used to evaluate potential 
associations between elevated exposures or disparate health outcomes 
and usage of gas ranges over time for vulnerable populations.
    (g) Please provide any additional information, not requested above, 
related to the data sources and approaches CPSC should consider when 
completing an evaluation of chronic chemical hazards related to gas 
range use.
    Question 3: Please provide information on proposed solutions 
related to any chronic chemical hazards, exposures, and risks 
associated with gas range use.
    (a) Please provide information related to potential tradeoffs 
between different hazards (i.e., chemical, fire, electrical, 
mechanical, or other) associated with the use of gas ranges, electric 
ranges (including older and newer models), and other large cooking 
appliances.
    (b) Please provide information on existing solutions to reduce 
chronic chemical hazards associated with gas ranges and other large 
cooking appliances that have been developed but are not widely used 
throughout the market. Examples may include safety knobs, burner 
design, automatic or semi-automatic shut-off valves, or use of 
efficient externally vented range hoods. Where possible, please 
indicate cost estimates and why such solutions were not broadly 
adopted.
    (c) Please provide information on technological advances that have 
been developed, or are underway, or could be developed in the future 
related to reducing chronic chemical hazards associated with gas ranges 
and other large cooking appliances (or related equipment) that are 
helpful for CPSC to consider for improving consumer safety and health. 
Please be specific and provide cost estimates where possible.
    (d) Please provide information related to revision of voluntary 
standards for gas ranges. This includes data that would inform health-
based emission limits for gas ranges. Such information would, for 
example, link robust and repeatable emissions testing data with 
estimated indoor air concentrations and toxicity reference values for 
CO, nitrogen dioxide, and fine particulate matter.
    (e) Please provide information relating to the subject of mandatory 
standards for the sale of range hoods alongside gas ranges. Please 
provide information on what any such performance standards should be 
(e.g., efficiency of removal of emitted substances), and the costs and 
benefits of such requirements.
    (f) Please provide information on the effectiveness of different 
range hoods for reducing emissions and associated indoor air 
concentrations in air surrounding gas ranges (i.e., personal breathing 
zone, room of use, etc.).
    (g) Please provide information related to potential labeling for 
gas ranges that could provide information to educate consumers about 
potential hazards.
    (h) Please provide information on indoor air quality (IAQ) in home 
environments, both related to and separate from gas ranges.
    (a) Please provide information regarding inclusion, enforcement, 
and compliance to any requirements in

[[Page 14152]]

building codes or other local or state laws or regulations for exhaust 
hoods (internally and externally vented) above or near gas ranges.
    (j) Please provide information on the costs and effectiveness of 
any other relevant voluntary or mandatory standards (such as for gas 
ranges or exhaust hoods found in model building codes).
    (k) Please provide any additional information related to chronic 
hazards associated with gas ranges and proposed solutions to those 
hazards that CPSC should consider, not requested above.

III. Confidentiality

    If you wish to submit confidential information, please follow the 
instructions in the ADDRESSES section above.

Alberta E. Mills,
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission.
[FR Doc. 2023-04554 Filed 3-6-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6355-01-P