The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has introduced new regulations aimed at reducing carbon emissions from eateries that utilize wood and coal-fired ovens, potentially slashing emissions by up to 75%, the New York Post reports.
The DEP, in collaboration with restaurant and environmental justice groups, said it developed the new rule in collaboration with restaurant and “environmental justice” groups to address the harmful pollutants emitted by such ovens, particularly in areas with poor air quality.
The proposed regulation may necessitate restaurants that have installed wood and coal-fired ovens before May 2016 to invest in expensive emission-control devices. Under the proposed rule, restaurants employing such ovens will be required to engage an engineer or architect to assess the feasibility of installing emission control devices to achieve a 75% reduction in particulate emissions.
If the assessment determines that a reduction of 75% or more is unattainable, or that no emissions controls can be installed, alternative emission controls capable of achieving a minimum 25% reduction must be identified, or a valid explanation must be provided for the inability to install such controls. Restaurants will have the option to apply for a variance or waiver but must substantiate their hardship claims with supporting evidence.
Coal-fired ovens were historically prevalent in the first pizzerias in New York City and the United States due to their cost-effectiveness compared to wood-fired ovens. However, these ovens consume more oxygen for combustion, requiring additional space and often being integrated into the building’s foundation. The introduction of stainless steel pizza ovens in the 1940s, fueled by natural gas, led to a decline in the use of coal and wood ovens among new restaurants.
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21 Responses
Stupid as the idea is, it doesn’t seem like it will affect matzah bakeries.
They aren’t eateries or restaurants
Get ready 100 dollars for a matzah
use gas
Move the matzah bakeries to the midwest like the sh’chita
keep voting for morons
1. May be a Federal “freedom of religion” issue
2. It will encourage moving to another state. One should remember that New York is actively working to encourage people to move away, and to encourage employers to relocate.
3. Already much matzah is manufactured in Israel (by Israeli workers), so unless the dollar collapses relative to the shekel, the price will not be affected
i am not worried as many of our askanim are well connected to our elected leaders and will make an exception on religous grounds as its a matter of the Constitution.
Why don’t they comply and install such an emission control device in the chimney?
It will not affect the kashrus of the matzos.
The cost divided over the large amounts baked and spread over the years will not amount to much.
Kahane, gas is not an option. Those matzos have no taste. The little bit of flavor in the matza comes from the wood.
I’ll tell you what’s next… banning residential fireplaces.
@Akuperma
Block voting will ensure that variances will be issued for the matzo bakeries, or they will be given 6 months to correct. They will have stopped baking by that time and the following year it repeats.
As for the Israeli matzo, no thanks, not a fan of the months old product, its thickness or taste. I would rather pay more for fresher, local production.
So few people make their living baking shura matzo in NY that I doubt it will encourage much movement to other states.
In most other places new coal or wood burning commercial ovens cannot be installed. Here in CT existing ones are grandfathered and not subject to our pollution regulations. My birthplace, New Haven of the two champs of American coal fired Apizza (non-kosher). Wannabees can’t install coal fuels ovens
No worry , Mayor get free Chulent
At least the board of health has not been involved; they would shut down all of these bakeries
There is a relatively inexpensive technique to significantly reduce emissions from wood-fired ovens.
This would require adding a fresh air line to incorporate a second-phase fire to burn off the wood gases and hydrocarbons.
My technical description is pretty lousy, but this principal is what you find in smokeless fire pits.
I don’t know if it would reduce the emissions by 75% but if your basis is from unseasoned firewood then it might.
@ akuperma not a free exercise of religion violation. The law applies generally and does not target religion.
Since the whole idea of handmade global warming is 100% shtusim v’havolim only to be a cash cow for every socialist liberal democrat program, my suggestion is as it has always been, that anyone who is worried about CO2 put their money where their mouth is and hold their breath for 10 minutes. For gosh sakes stop polluting the air!
May all the socialist liberal leftist Democrats, as well as all their varieties, have a מיתה משונה בקרוב ממש .
CTLawyer:
The bigger Brooklyn matzah bakeries start baking after Sukkos. This year, a Jewish (& Gregorian) leap year, it’ll be a couple of days more than 6 months.
In any case, I don’t think it’ll turn out the way you predict.
More likely the Matzah bakeries will remain under the radar, until some self-hating Jews start making a ruckus.
Then the “fun” will begin.
And HolyMoe, if you think the cost of carbon reducing machines isn’t an issue and can be factored in, that’s really off the mark. Expenses for labor, transportation, wheat etc. have been rising like crazy due to inflation as is, there’s no magic way to expect the bakeries to absorb all the additional costs, or that another dollar or two per pound of matzah is negligible for the Kosher shmurah matzah consumer.
And since you mentioned “spread over the years” have you seen the interest rates lately?
The comment from Jersey Jew should be removed.
How many engineers and companies are able to do the work and the studies? Did they fund the initiative? (what a stimulus!) The city has a lot of pizza shops, but, does this new rule have any real effect on anything? Does NY still run Diesel buses while even the 3rd world is going electric? Something doesn’t sound kosher here.
BS”D
What Jersey Jew wrote in English was very well said.
There is nothing like the truth.
Free box of Matzohs if you get vaccinated. Another box of שברים if you take a booster.
🐑 🐏 🐑
לשם מצות מצווה.
Keep voting for the pigs and then cry like a baby that your rights are being taken away. Can you believe that in America they are dictating on how you can bake stuff???
Give it a little time and they will give themselves emergency powers “to save our planet” aka climate change be and you won’t be allowed to do anything because we’re in a climate disaster.
Or we kick this climate change idea now or we’ll be enslaved again but this time far worse then covid.
Call me conspiracist, call me whatever you want but i warned you