Some New York City residents are upset about a recent proposal to reduce the coal and wood-burning pizza ovens by 75% in order to reduce emissions, according to the New York Post.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) drafted new standards requiring field test data to verify that the Emissions Control Device reduced overall particulate matter emissions from the current cook burner by 75%.
The proposal’s major goal was to reduce air pollution caused by coal and wood emissions. Pizzerias are now forced to assess whether they can install emissions control systems for their kitchen stoves, but some argue that such devices would be prohibitively expensive.
As quoted by Fox News, DEP spokesman Ted Timbers said in a statement Sunday: “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.”
“This common-sense (sic) rule, developed with restaurant and environmental justice groups, requires a professional review of whether installing emission controls is feasible,” Timbers added.
What exactly is the problem?
Some opponents have said that if restaurants replace coal/wood-fired ovens with cleaner-burning ones, the old and historic locations will suffer and the smoky flavor of the pizzas will disappear. Meanwhile, officials claim that it will affect less than 100 of the city’s numerous pizza joints.
An irate protester, Scott LoBaido, was observed on the streets chanting war slogans in opposition to the proposal. In response to the city’s crackdown on coal and wood-fired ovens, he even tossed multiple pizzas into NYC Hall. “Well… this is the New York Pizza Party!” he stated on Monday. Give us pizza or kill us!”
The demonstration also drew the attention of New York Mayor Eric Adams, who stated during an unrelated press conference, “Well, first of all, I love my vegan pizza with vegan cheese. And something about pizza, like, does anyone dislike pizza? Everyone likes pizza.”
“You almost see that pie in front of you, you start to get happy. I think pizzas have saved more marriages than any other food. Sharing a pie with your boo is like, that’s the ultimate,” Adams added.
“Right now we are at the public moment where the public can weigh in. Let the public weigh in, let the public give their thoughts and then we’ll make the final determination. We don’t want to hurt businesses in the city, and we don’t want to hurt the environment,” he said.
While responding to the incident related to LoBaido, the mayor said “the woke-a– idiots who run this city are doing everything in their power to destroy it.”
As quoted by Fox News, Brooklyn pizzeria owner Paul Giannone, known as Paulie Gee, said, “I think these regulations are typically come up with by people who don’t own businesses.”
He said, “Part of what makes our pizza cook the way it does is you have to cook with an open flame. When you cook it in a different kind of oven, you won’t get the results that will produce a Neapolitan-style pizza. It’ll be a dying breed. People just are not going to deal with this anymore.”
New York has taken steps to reduce pollution, becoming the first state to prohibit natural gas connections in new buildings. Beginning in 2026, new structures with seven or fewer stories will be required to employ induction and electric devices. In the meanwhile, the larger ones will make the switch in 2029.