Newly proposed plans to reduce the emission produced by coal or wood-fired ovens tastes bitter in the mouth of New York Pizza lovers. Let’s explore the ingredients of these freshly made rules in this article.
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) of the New York state has proposed a change in the rule that would require pizzeria owners in the city to install emissions control devices on their brick-coal or wood-fired ovens. The replaced devices would most probably be installed to reduce the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and as well as particulate matter (PM) by 75%.
NOx and PM are air pollutants that can contribute to respiratory problems, heart disease, and cancer. Moreover, they have also named greenhouse gases which are famous for contributing to change in climate.
The proposed rule change has been met with some resistance from pizzeria owners, who have made some arguments stating that the devices will be expensive and could also affect the taste of their pizza. However, the DEP maintains that the benefits of reducing emissions outweigh the costs.
This change in regulation is still in the proposal stage and is still not finalized. If this change is approved and accepted by the New York pizza makers, then this change would be the first of its kind in the United States of America and it would also go into effect in the year 2025.
The DEP estimates that the rule would reduce emissions from pizza ovens by 4,400 tons per year. This would be the equivalent of taking around a thousand vehicles off the road.
In addition to the proposed rule change, the DEP is also offering financial assistance to pizzeria owners who install emissions control devices. The assistance amount can cover up to 75% of the cost of the devices which are likely to replace coal-based ovens as well wood-fired ovens. The DEP is also promising grants of up to $5,000 per oven to eligible businesses.
The DEP is also working with pizzeria owners to develop alternative cooking methods that do not produce emissions. One option that is being explored is using electric ovens.
However, the DEP stated that there are a number of affordable options available and that the devices will not have a significant impact on the taste of the pizza.
The proposed rule and regulations would require pizzeria owners to install one of the two types of emission control devices:
- A Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) device, which uses a catalyst to convert NOx into harmless nitrogen and water vapor.
- A Low NOx Burner (LNB), burns fuel more efficiently, producing less NOx.
The DEP estimates that the rule would reduce NOx emissions from pizza ovens by 75%. Accompanied by this the agency also estimates that the cost of installing emissions control devices would range from $1,000 to $5,000 per oven.
The devices would help in reducing the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), which majorly results in contributing to smog and other respiratory problems.
The proposed rule has received mixed reactions from pizzeria owners as well as customers. Some owners say that the cost of installing emissions control devices is too high and they will be forced to close their businesses if the rule is sanctioned. Whereas others say that they are willing to pay the cost of protecting the environment for a better future.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk took a jibe at this matter by calling this New York Pizza crackdown on coal or wood-fired ovens “utter bs”. He also added that it won’t make a difference in climate change.
The co-founder of Tesla, SpaceX, and also the CEO of Twitter shared his thoughts on the newly proposed rules to pizzeria owners of New York with an aim to reduce the 3/4th of emission produced by coal or wood-fired ovens
The newly introduced plan drafted by the city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) would require pizzerias owners to eliminate the coal and wooden fire ovens which are installed prior to 2016 in order to cut carbon emissions by 75%.
The DEP’s efforts to reduce emissions from the ovens of pizza is one of their larger effort in the journey to improve air quality in the city of New York. The city has also taken some steps to shorten the emissions from cars, trucks, and power plants.
The newly introduced rule book on pizza ovens is another step in the city’s ongoing efforts to protect public health from environmental pollution. Not just this, the city has set a goal of decreasing NOx emissions almost by around 50% by the year 2030.
Here are the summarized details of the freshly proposed rule change:
- This rule would first apply to all pizzerias making and selling pizzas in New York City using coal or wood-fired ovens.
- The devices would need to reduce emissions of NOx and PM by 75%. According to some data, this would have the same effect as taking back around 1,000 cars from the roads.
- Pizzerias would be required to install emissions control devices on their ovens. These devices would capture pollutants such as particulate matter and nitrogen oxides.
- Pizzerias would be required to use cleaner-burning fuels, such as natural gas or propane.
- Pizzerias would be required to improve their ventilation systems. This would in return help in the reduction of emissions that are released into the atmosphere.
- The devices would be paid for by the pizzeria owners, but they could receive financial assistance up to the amount of 5000$ from the DEP.
- The rule would go into effect in 2025.
The newly introduced plans are still in the proposal stage and are still far away from the finalization stage. It is highly possible that this rule could be made to change or may even be rejected before commencing or going into effect. However, the DEP is committed to reducing emissions from New York pizza and is likely to continue to pursue this goal.
Source: The Internet