Operations

NYC ordinance could require wood, coal-fired ovens to reduce gas emissions by up to 75%

Photo by Adobe Stock

June 26, 2023

A proposed city ordinance in New York City is targeting restaurant that use coal and wood-fired ovens, according to a New York Post report.

The report says that the New York City Department of Environmental Protection haws proposed a city edit that would have restaurants that use coal and wood-fired ovens, such as the cities storied pizzerias, cut carbon emissions by up to 75%.

"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," Ted Timbers, DEP spokesman, said in a statement Sunday. "This common-sense rule, developed with restaurant and environmental justice groups, requires a professional review of whether installing emission controls is feasible."

The edict affects restaurants with wood- and coal-fired ovens built before May 2016 to purchase emission-control devices.

"Oh yeah, it's a big expense!" Paul Giannone, the owner of Paulie Gee's in Greenpoint, told the news outlet. "It's not just the expense of having it installed, it's the maintenance. I got to pay somebody to do it, to go up there every couple of weeks and hose it down and you know do the maintenance."

While it seems that many restaurants would be affected, a city official told The Post under 100 restaurants would be affected, but it would require an engineer or architect to assess whether or not emission control would achieve a 75% reduction in emissions. Restaurants would be able to apply for a waver but hardship would have to be proved.