Reduced Emissions from Cook Stoves

Online comments: 155

• George Nickel

  I guess if the owners of pizza wood burning stoves care about their patrons and neighbors they will comply. Also, perhaps those owners who need financial assistance should be granted funds from a partnership of city, private parties & themselves.However, no costs should be passed on to customers in any additional fees at these establishments to their customers.

  Comment added June 26, 2023 8:57pm

• Kevin Moody

  Comments before mine state that costs should not be passed on to consumers. Not a businessman alive is going to spend $20k and not pass it along. All costs of all improvements – from ovens, furniture, a/c & heating etc cannot be absorbed. If grants are provided then all tax payers – even non pizza eaters will pay a portion of the cost from tax money.
  Meanwhile you need to hire a body guard to ride the trains, homeless littering the streets, criminals not even having to post bail with repeat offenders out of jail before the victims are released from medical care.
  NYC has priorities in the tank.

  Comment added June 27, 2023 8:05pm

• Marc Helman

  this is an egregious overstep of the state and local government, and puts an unreasonable burden on small businesses that have already endured tremendous hardships over the last 3 years. if people are concerned about the air quality of pizzerias while dining in, make it known with your wallet by not patronizing these establishments. if workers have concerns about their health by working there, find other gainful employment available at the thousands of restaurants in the city and state. this is not something most New Yorkers want, and we are proud of our coal and wood fired pizzerias in the area. if the government wants to improve air quality, and force businesses to do it, it should provide the equipment free of charge rather than putting the burden on the businesses themselves. the simply isn’t a priority in a city that is in desperate need of numerous improvements

  Comment added June 28, 2023 1:44pm

• Aaron

  I like this alot. We need to do everything we can to reduce harmful emissions and this is a minor first step. But are we also going to talk about how terrible cars are for the city? We should remove all non-necessary vehicles as well and only allow taxis, delivery, and emergency vehicles. That would be so much valuable to air quality than this, and save so much money in road upkeep, reduce collisions and deaths, etc.

  Comment added June 28, 2023 1:50pm

• Marjorie Siegelman

  I think this is a ridiculous bill to attack small businesses. Let’s concentrate on the cars and factories first, and let these small businesses alone. I cannot believe that this is large part of the pollution problem. Please let this bill die!

  Comment added June 28, 2023 2:12pm

• Nate Bowditch

  This is serenely moronic. Coming from a life-long Democrat, I am appalled you would force pizzerias to conform to this. Do not pass regulation or you will come to regret it.

  Comment added June 28, 2023 2:29pm

• D Duncan

  Thank you, New York for giving us a good laugh.

  Comment added June 28, 2023 11:06pm

• Laura Barrett

  This is ridiculous! If people are concerned about the air quality in the pizzeria with the coal brick oven then go eat somewhere else. The small businesses have been struggling the past 3 years then can’t afford to pay for the change. It would put them out of business. How could anyone say not to raise prices, they would have to if this law goes through. How about the government pay for it!
  They should provide the equipment free of charge rather than putting the burden on the businesses themselves. There are some many more important issues! There priorities is screwed up! Leave the pizzerias alone! Don’t pass the law!

  Comment added June 29, 2023 1:08am

• Gavin Chen

  Help them pay! I’m all in favor of getting cleaner breathing air. But set something up to help them pay and expedite the costs of getting the things set up

  Comment added June 29, 2023 1:57pm

• Maria Tamburro

  This proposal is pretty silly. While its intention is helpful to the community, it’s extremely poor timing and poorly worded to put additional burdens on small businesses.

  There is a simple solution to subsidize the installation of these devices as well as make clear paths for exceptions instead of this vague method for exceptions to policies.

  There are a number of businesses that are just getting back on their feet from covid, this is not the time to be stifling them when there is clearly a void of small businesses in the city.

  It seems like Mayor Adams has some bold ideas, but doesn’t look at the practicality of those situations. People have to live their lives and stay in business in order to comply with the regulations. If there was a more friendly method for this process, it would be helpful.

  It also would be excellent if we could instead focus energy on some true criminals in NYC, the super wealthy. They have been making the working class feel more and more strained. This stress is likely more of a factor in the increase of crime than the pollutants.

  I am supportive of reducing pollutants, but there should be a relatively easy way for businesses to comply instead of strapping them with a poorly written regulation like this one. Do better.

  Comment added July 4, 2023 5:26pm

• Oliver

  This bill is not really a good one. There is more pollution caused by cars and airplanes than coal and wood fired ovens at pizzerias.

  I feel this would add further financial burden to small businesses and that we have bigger priorities like the replacing of the BQE than this.

  I am a liberal independent and vote Democrat, but I do not agree with this.

  Provide the equipment free of charge if it’s that important.

  Comment added July 9, 2023 5:08pm

• Brad Gerstman

  Dear Commissioner Aggarwala and Chief Operating Officer Sapienza,

  I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing on behalf of the New York City Pizza Alliance, a coalition of pizzeria owners and enthusiasts who share a deep passion for preserving the cherished tradition of New York City’s iconic pizzerias. We are writing to express our strong opposition to the recently proposed rule that mandates the installation of emission control devices on wood and coal-fired ovens installed in pizzerias before May of 2016.

  While we acknowledge and support the City’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions and promote a greener environment, we believe that this particular requirement places an undue burden on a specific segment of our community – the pizzerias that have been operating and serving our neighborhoods for decades. These establishments are already facing numerous challenges in a competitive post-pandemic market, and the additional financial strain of purchasing and maintaining expensive emission control devices may prove to be insurmountable for many of them.

  Our stance is not rooted in a disregard for the environment. On the contrary, we are committed to being responsible stewards of our city’s resources and are willing to explore alternative methods to reduce carbon emissions without placing an unfair disadvantage on certain businesses.

  This issue clearly runs deeper than pizza – with New York City changing and evolving every day, there needs to be a concerted effort by its inhabitants and government to safeguard the institutional and cultural practices that have made this city the best in the world. It is our job as New Yorkers to fight back special interests that seek to destroy the fabric of our city and its culinary greatness.

  We propose that, instead of enforcing the mandatory installation of emission control devices, the city consider adopting programs that incentivize pizzerias to adopt environmentally friendly practices. This could involve promoting voluntary initiatives to adopt cleaner technologies, offering financial support or grants to assist with

  the installation of emission control devices, or investing in educational programs to raise awareness about sustainable practices in the food industry.

  Additionally, we urge the City to collaborate with the New York City Pizza Alliance and other relevant stakeholders to conduct a thorough and impartial analysis of the actual carbon emissions from wood and coal-fired ovens in comparison to other sources of emissions within the city. This data-driven approach will help us better understand the real impact of such ovens on New York City’s overall carbon footprint, allowing us to develop targeted and effective solutions to address any environmental concerns.

  In conclusion, we respectfully request that the New York City Department of Environmental Protection reconsider the implementation of the current mandate and, instead, engage in constructive dialogue with our alliance to find a fair and equitable resolution. By working together, we can preserve our cherished pizzerias’ authenticity while collectively pursuing meaningful strategies to promote a more sustainable New York City.

  Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. We look forward to the opportunity to discuss our proposals further.

  Sincerely,

  Brad Gerstman of the New York City Pizza Alliance

  Comment attachment
  DEP-Pizza-Letter-1.docx

  Comment added July 11, 2023 1:45pm

• Brad Gerstman

  Dear Commissioner Aggarwala and Chief Operating Officer Sapienza,

  I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing on behalf of the New York City Pizza Alliance, a coalition of pizzeria owners and enthusiasts who share a deep passion for preserving the cherished tradition of New York City’s iconic pizzerias. We are writing to express our strong opposition to the recently proposed rule that mandates the installation of emission control devices on wood and coal-fired ovens installed in pizzerias before May of 2016.

  While we acknowledge and support the City’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions and promote a greener environment, we believe that this particular requirement places an undue burden on a specific segment of our community – the pizzerias that have been operating and serving our neighborhoods for decades. These establishments are already facing numerous challenges in a competitive post-pandemic market, and the additional financial strain of purchasing and maintaining expensive emission control devices may prove to be insurmountable for many of them.

  Our stance is not rooted in a disregard for the environment. On the contrary, we are committed to being responsible stewards of our city’s resources and are willing to explore alternative methods to reduce carbon emissions without placing an unfair disadvantage on certain businesses.

  This issue clearly runs deeper than pizza – with New York City changing and evolving every day, there needs to be a concerted effort by its inhabitants and government to safeguard the institutional and cultural practices that have made this city the best in the world. It is our job as New Yorkers to fight back special interests that seek to destroy the fabric of our city and its culinary greatness.

  We propose that, instead of enforcing the mandatory installation of emission control devices, the city consider adopting programs that incentivize pizzerias to adopt environmentally friendly practices. This could involve promoting voluntary initiatives to adopt cleaner technologies, offering financial support or grants to assist with

  the installation of emission control devices, or investing in educational programs to raise awareness about sustainable practices in the food industry.

  Additionally, we urge the City to collaborate with the New York City Pizza Alliance and other relevant stakeholders to conduct a thorough and impartial analysis of the actual carbon emissions from wood and coal-fired ovens in comparison to other sources of emissions within the city. This data-driven approach will help us better understand the real impact of such ovens on New York City’s overall carbon footprint, allowing us to develop targeted and effective solutions to address any environmental concerns.

  In conclusion, we respectfully request that the New York City Department of Environmental Protection reconsider the implementation of the current mandate and, instead, engage in constructive dialogue with our alliance to find a fair and equitable resolution. By working together, we can preserve our cherished pizzerias’ authenticity while collectively pursuing meaningful strategies to promote a more sustainable New York City.

  Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. We look forward to the opportunity to discuss our proposals further.

  Sincerely,

  Brad Gerstman (NYC Pizza Alliance)

  Comment added July 11, 2023 1:48pm

• Aaron C

  The city should just let our small business owners catch a break for once. If anything, they should be subsidizing the cost that will be incurred. Lord knows we spend enough money on nonsense. Soo much of what makes new york great has eroded away. Lets not push these pizzerias over the edge.

  Comment added July 14, 2023 9:21pm

• Domion

  This should be optional, not mandatory. Considering the small amount of brick-oven establishments scattered about NYC, having them comply would be like adding one rain drop to the ocean. The impact would be minuscule, if any. There are bigger fish to fry in NYC when it comes to air pollution. Some of the top offenders are vehicle emissions, fuel oils and natural gas to heat homes, by-products of manufacturing and power generation, and fumes from chemical production.
  Leave the brick-oven restaurants alone and let them do what they do best, make delicious pizza pies for of us hardworking New Yorkers!

  Comment added July 16, 2023 12:25am

• Rohit Rayamajhi

  Hi,
  I am writing this petition as a concerned member of our community, advocating for the preservation and maintenance of the beloved brick oven. The brick oven has been an integral part of our community for more than 30 years, serving as a valuable asset and contributing to the cultural fabric of our neighborhood. We urge you to consider our collective voice and take action to ensure its continued existence.

  The brick oven holds significant historical and cultural value. It has been a gathering place for families, friends, and neighbors, fostering a sense of community and camaraderie. It has witnessed generations come together, sharing meals, stories, and traditions. Losing this cherished space would not only erase a vital piece of our heritage but also create a void in our community that cannot be easily filled.

  Thank you!

  Comment added July 18, 2023 10:57pm

• Ana Viteri

  This is an uneducated, preposterous decision made by NYC’s worst mayor in history. Please continue to allow these well intended, hard working professionals and businesses to use their kitchens and ovens as intended. Frankly, NYC has far more important issues to deal with today that should be prioritized compared to this stupid rule – concentrate on addressing the CRIME and homeless issues!

  Comment added July 19, 2023 10:46am

• Samora

  It is my understanding that the coal they use does not cause emissions. Many of these businesses will not survive if required to spend an estimated 100k for this renovation. I believe these businesses should be funded if this is enforced. Otherwise, NY pizza will become DOA

  Comment added July 19, 2023 12:50pm

• Winston Herbert

  Totally opposed. How will this affect the hardworking owners / workers in the food business ?

  Comment added July 19, 2023 1:11pm

• David Pumar

  I totally disagree that they have removed the oven and the tradition of pizza from many restaurants for years, apart from the fact that it is one of the preferences of New Yorkers and tourists

  Comment added July 19, 2023 1:15pm

• Edgar

  I do not support this, it is something unconscious for the measures and expenses that restaurants will have to abide by and the dislike of consumers for their favorite pizzas

  Comment added July 19, 2023 1:19pm

• Adilton Aranha

  I seriously cannot believe we’re spending time and effort on this issue. Pizzerias are not being harmful at all. What about the trucks/cars? Leave small businesses alone, we already went thru so much during Covid and now this?!

  Comment added July 19, 2023 1:22pm

• Luis Ortiz

  “Brick oven pizzerias are part of our city’s culinary heritage, and we shouldn’t let unnecessary regulations ruin their authenticity. I stand with Don Giovanni’s in opposing the enforcement of chimney scrubbers.”

  Comment added July 19, 2023 1:27pm

• Juçara

  Please, grandfather these cherished old coal oven institutions without requiring them to install scrubbers. Introducing such upgrades would only be the begging of a costly process, potentially exceeding $100,000 when factoring in expenses for architects, licensing, rebuilding, flue and more. Unfortunately, this financial burden could lead to their eventual shutdown

  Comment added July 19, 2023 1:34pm

• Roi c

  While I understand the importance of maintaining a clean environment, it is crucial to acknowledge that the emissions from brick ovens are comparatively insignificant when weighed against the multitude of pressing issues that the city is currently facing. The resources and efforts invested in enforcing this mandate could be better utilized to address more critical challenges affecting our city.
  New York City confronts various urgent matters, including but not limited to homelessness, crime, education, public safety, and healthcare. Allocating resources towards enforcing costly regulations on brick oven restaurants, which contribute minimally to overall air pollution, diverts attention and finances away from resolving these fundamental problems.
  Moreover, brick oven restaurants are an essential part of our city’s cultural and culinary culture. Forcing them to comply with an expensive mandate could lead to increased financial burdens, resulting in higher prices for consumers and potential closures of beloved local establishments. This, in turn, would negatively impact the livelihoods of countless small business owners and their employees.
  Instead of focusing on negligible emissions from brick ovens, I plead New York City Hall to prioritize efforts on initiatives that will have a more significant and tangible impact on improving our city’s quality of life. I believe in the power of collaboration and urge the authorities to engage in open dialogue with brick oven restaurant owners and environmental experts to explore alternative solutions that strike a balance between environmental concerns and the preservation of our unique culinary scene.

  Comment added July 19, 2023 1:39pm

• Cristian Camilo Chavez

  En lo personal no estoy de acuerdo con esta medida ya que durante mucho tiempo todos los consumidores hemos notado que el sabor y la calidad de una pizza elaborada en un horno de carbón es única e incomparable , podemos disfrutar de una pizza verdaderamente deliciosa , no comprendo el por qué de la decisión cuando sabemos que las herramientas utilizadas para esta elaboración no causan ningún daño a el medio ambiente.

  Comment added July 19, 2023 1:40pm

• Paul

  NO to any new requirements being imposed!

  Why?

  1. It makes food taste better and restaurants have it hard enough already bringing in customers!

  2. Perhaps deal with the trash, rats, and crazy’s first! (this agenda is laughable and clearly comes from a place with no perspective of “real” problems).

  3. Think about the countless livelihoods of people working in these restaurants that you will negatively impact, not to mention the traditions and culture linked to such establishments that will be lost forever when you kill them.

  Bonus: If you ban coal fired pizza ovens, I’ll leave the city altogether because it’s part of what makes this city what it is.

  Too many liberal ideas not enough practicality and law! Make pizza ovens great again!

  Wishing you the greatest failure.

  Comment added July 19, 2023 1:51pm

• Nina

  This is a real burden on small business owners. It’s enough that these business are suffering enough since the pandemic days, feels like the government is looking once again to create new difficulies for the small business around. If the city requires anything it is supposed to be out of their pockets….feels like anything related to environmental issues has somehow becomes a burden of small businesses and the individual citizen. As of regards to brick oven, it will hurt the core of small restaurant as this will be the beginning for a whole new generation of “rules”. Brick oven are landmarks to the city

  Comment added July 19, 2023 2:11pm

• Cristian Chavez

  Hello, good morning. Personally, I totally disagree with the measure that the government has in mind, since it is about to put many things at risk, such as the fact of being the first country with the best pizza in the world, since this tradition has achieved that this exquisite recipe is recognized as an icon in New York, without neglecting the number of people who are behind its preparation and to maintain its good name. What if we must ask ourselves with great concern if it will solve the pollution problem when if we speak honestly it is one of those that does it the least, I think that the situation that these micro-enterprises had to go through with the famous COVID, from which they are still recovering, should be taken into account, it is a measure that will not contribute anything to the country but that can affect it too much.

  Comment added July 19, 2023 2:32pm

• Mohamed mo

  I think shutting down coal oven pizza is ridiculous decisions where we all enjoy the unique flavor. By doing this, one of the main attraction food in NYC will be effected. When people think of coal, they think of billowing black smoke and soot. That kind of coal is called bituminous coal, better known as black coal. Most pizzerias (if not all) who would be affected by this rule use a power source called anthracite.
  I don’t see any reason to do that. One of my favorite places for example is Don Giovani where you can’t find any similar tasty coal ove pizza that exist out there.

  Comment added July 19, 2023 2:43pm

• Laura Gould

  These pizzerias use the cleanest coal possible and it ignites a smokeless flame. It is not a risk for the environment and too big a financial burden for our pizzerias. SO many better ways to promote clean climate.

  Comment added July 19, 2023 3:09pm

• Joan Barons

  Please grandfather old coal oven institutions without requiring them to install scrubbers. This rule is a joke. Don’t punish small business and pizza lovers!

  Comment added July 19, 2023 3:10pm

• Joseph H.

  How far is too far? Liberal ideology is ruining this city while our elected officials don’t abide by their own mandates.

  Comment added July 19, 2023 3:37pm

• Asaf Sade

  This is literally preposterous! Are they trying to put small businesses out of business..? Just as the restaurant industry started its long and hard recovery, post pandemic. Why not applying those pollution standards upon those who really pollute our air quality? Instead they simply pick on the smallest targets. I’m sorry, but I do LOVE my Brick Oven Pizza!

  Comment added July 19, 2023 3:40pm

• Daniel Gutierrez

  Please, don’t ruin this! I love italian pizza made in brick oven, its the best. Also, many tourists love to eat it!

  Comment added July 19, 2023 4:01pm

• Mohamed mahrouch

  I think this a ridiculous bill to attack small business
  Let these small businesses alone

  Comment added July 19, 2023 4:02pm

• Elizabeth Barlow

  This is part of New York City lore and I can understand not authorizing new coal ovens. We need to keep a part of essential NYC.

  Comment added July 19, 2023 4:29pm

• Alexandra Brez

  Instead let’s keep cruise ships out of NY harbor. A cruise ship idling for one day emits as much exhaust as 34,000 idling tractor-trailers. Pizza ovens should be on the bottom on the list.

  Comment added July 19, 2023 4:34pm

• Mary Fleming

  There are a whole lot of things putting far more particulates into the air than these pizzerias.

  Comment added July 19, 2023 4:38pm

• Kalia Choi

  Businesses are just starting to bounce back, if that, since the COVID shut down. Not providing any financial assistance is only going to further increase debts already accrued possibly forcing more local businesses to shut down and increasing unemployment. Additionally, if we are really talking about reducing emissions, why aren’t the large companies and industrial factories facing stricter regulations when they have the profits to make the changes and are responsible for the larger percentage? To enforce this regulation at such a steep price and unreasonable deadline will cause further calamity to an environment which is desperately needing repair NOT stricter regulations on local businesses. The priorities of the city are not in line with the realities people are facing.

  Comment added July 19, 2023 4:43pm

• Isabelle Seiler

  Save brick oven pizza!

  Comment added July 19, 2023 4:44pm

• Mike Dabin

  You are going after pizza? Glorious New York pizza? Can’t you go after Diesel Trucks instead of pizza ovens? These places add delight to New Yorkers looking for a great pie, unlike idling diesel engines. Pleas rethink this, or fully subsidize the costs for each restaurant. Don’t kill another cherished New York tradition, leaving it a memory, like live music clubs in Manhattan, and Artists that don’t live in Brooklyn. Oh the humanity…

  Comment added July 19, 2023 4:50pm

• John DuQuette

  I think you should carve out an exemption for existing “artisanal” pizza ovens.

  Comment added July 19, 2023 4:58pm

• Russell Cecil

  This rule attacks a cherished New York culinary institution, brick oven pizza, and offers no discernable benefit in terms of climate impact. The 100 pizzerias impacted emit less carbon in a year than 1 second of the Canadian wildfires. It is a misplaced emphasis.

  Comment added July 19, 2023 5:12pm

• Krystian Jurczak

  Brick oven pizzerias are part of our city’s culinary heritage, and we shouldn’t let unnecessary regulations ruin their authenticity. I stand with Don Giovanni’s in opposing the enforcement of chimney scrubbers.

  Comment added July 19, 2023 5:34pm

• Isabell Ventouris

  This is a terrible bill that does way more harm than good. Please leave these small businesses alone with your ridiculous requests.

  Comment added July 19, 2023 5:47pm

• Shai

  believe that this historic and culturally significant oven holds immense value and should be protected for current and future generations to enjoy.

  The brick oven has been an integral part of our community’s heritage for [insert number] of years. It has served as a gathering point for families, friends, and visitors, fostering a sense of community and cultural exchange. The traditional techniques used in brick ovens have been passed down through generations, making it a living testament to our shared history.

  Comment added July 19, 2023 5:47pm

• Tammy

  The best pizza in NYC- Don Giovanni! Covid has already killed so many of the great establishments. If this continues, the city is going to look like the 80’s, where no one is going to want to be in mid town Manhattan.

  Comment added July 19, 2023 5:54pm

• Safrone Presley

  Please, grandfather these cherishedh old coal oven institutions without requiring them to install scrubbers. Introducing such upgrades would only be the begging of a costly process, potentially exceeding $100,000 when factoring in expenses for architects, licensing, rebuilding, flue and more. Unfortunately, this financial burden could lead to their eventual shutdown. This is an egregious financial expectation!

  Comment added July 19, 2023 6:04pm

• andrew

  before focusing on oven emissions the city needs URGENTLY to tackle the full NYPD tolerance towards unlawful activities: scooters without plates cruising all over the place, shoplifting, subway safety, crime on daylight the city is devastated and we are discussing oven emission. wake up!

  Comment added July 19, 2023 6:33pm

• Todd Parmett

  Please, grandfather these cherished old coal oven institutions without requiring them to install scrubbers. Introducing such upgrades would only be the begging of a costly process, potentially exceeding $100,000 when factoring in expenses for architects, licensing, rebuilding, flue and more. Unfortunately, this financial burden could lead to their eventual shutdown.

  Comment added July 19, 2023 6:35pm

• Pam Wolfe

  Do not enforce this rule! Cost will be prohibitive, causing restaurant closures and job losses. Pizza-eaters cannot absorb the cost of this. the city should subsidize this retrofit and save our small businesses.

  Comment added July 19, 2023 6:51pm

• Suzette Meshulam

  Pizza ovens are so low on the list of polluters, Cars are top. Focus on idling cars, the rat problem and garbage buildup.
  Let me eat my brick oven pizza

  Comment added July 19, 2023 7:06pm

• Gregg Kapuscinski

  This seems well-intentioned but misdirected. Of all the things in NYC that cause air pollution, individual pizzerias and restaurants are on the bottom of the list. Can we please focus on the larger issues and leave iconic pizzerias alone? NYC is having a hard enough time bouncing back from the pandemic, we don’t need to burden an icon of the NYC tourism and restaurant scene – pizzerias.

  Comment added July 19, 2023 7:33pm

• Russell Arnold

  I believe the number of existing coal fired pizza ovens in NYC is in the single digits. These establishments should be “grandfathered” and exempted from this piece of legislation. Ty

  Comment added July 19, 2023 8:32pm

• Dolores M

  I am totally in favor of reducing pollution in NYC, including air pollution. But there are so many sources of air pollution here it’s hard to believe you would go after pizzeria coal-burning ovens. How about we cut down on cars and trucks, especially those that sit idling, filling the air with carbon monoxide and other pollutants? Pizzerias are part of the fabric of our city, and NYC pizza is something we can actually claim is the best in the country, loved by residents and tourists alike. Not to mention, restaurants of all kinds are still struggling to recover from financial crises due to the pandemic and the outrageous rents they pay that just go up and up until they can’t afford to operate here anymore. If you must require pizzerias to install chimney scrubbers, the city should subsidize them. We give enough money away to the super wealthy, we need to support the small businesses that make this city the unique place it has always been!

  Comment added July 19, 2023 9:25pm

• Limor Swissa

  I have been eating a brick oven pizza all my life and your decision to oblige the business owners to replace parts in these wonderful ovens unnecessarily will only cause economic damage that the restaurants will not recover from and we will see many businesses close.
  We ask you not to legislate unnecessarily.
  The damage will be irreversible.
  Thank you.

  Comment added July 20, 2023 12:32am

• William smith

  At least should be seniority amongst consider under preservation genre those establishments running should be preserve amongst form of art , law shouldn’t apply only except for any new establishment, NYC agree,
  Thou disagree with another law takes from any left id nyc ole world,

  Comment added July 20, 2023 12:40am

• Horea Stan

  This rule will destroy one of this City’s major symbols. Thr NYC brick oven pizza is one of a kind and it’s a part of the city’s culture. Also, this rule will definitely destroy all the businesses that used these ovens hence they wouldn’t be able to afford the new expensive equipment. So if you want to destroy a piece of New York’s history, do the rule, but the negative consequences are way worse that the positive ones, and are irreversible. Each oven establishment has its own particularities and cannot be remade or changed. Do not do this!!!

  Comment added July 20, 2023 2:23am

• Grace Millo

  I have been a resident here over 40 years and I respectfully ask you to please let this establishment , who most of us in Hell’s Kitchen , know and respect as well, go and use his oven which has been turning out the most delicious pizza for many years.Covid has crippled this community, and honestly, businesses that I personally know, are trying to come back from that. With all due respect, there are far more urgent concerns, (I.e. drug use, homeless and crime on these HK streets) than to let this be a topic of debate. I love this place and that stove, and I entreat you to let it remain as is. We need a reminder of the good here. Thank you.

  Comment added July 20, 2023 3:13am

• Maxine Blake

  Regarding brick over pizzarias. After the covid shutdown, the crippling dining mandates, the city’s rent hikes and the skyrocketing cost of goods, there are less than 100 brick oven establishments left in all of New York City. These are some of the places that helped earn our great city the reputation for having the best pizza in the world. These ovens can no longer be built in New York, they are the last of the Mohicans.
  When people think of coal, they think of billowing black smoke and soot. That kind of coal is called bituminous coal, better known as black coal. Most pizzerias (if not all) who would be affected by this rule use a power source called anthracite.

  Anthracite is an energy efficient, very clean burning rock. It is primarily used for cooking and metallurgy because of its high temperatures and its stable heat output. Anthracite is typically associated with coal but is actually a metamorphic rock. All other coals come from sedimentary rock. Here’s the science: the higher the carbon content found in a rock, the cleaner it burns. Anthracite is made up of up to 98% carbon. To put that into perspective, a rock with 100% carbon content would basically be pure energy and give off zero emissions. Black coal on the other hand, at best reaches 86% carbon content. This basically means Anthracite is a whole lot cleaner and energy efficient than all other “coals.”

  Even if all brick oven establishments stopped using coal, wood and anthracite, there would be no meaningful improvement to the city’s air quality.
  When people think of coal, they think of billowing black smoke and soot. That kind of coal is called bituminous coal, better known as black coal. Most pizzerias (if not all) who would be affected by this rule use a power source called anthracite.

  Anthracite is an energy efficient, very clean burning rock. It is primarily used for cooking and metallurgy because of its high temperatures and its stable heat output. Anthracite is typically associated with coal but is actually a metamorphic rock. All other coals come from sedimentary rock. Here’s the science: the higher the carbon content found in a rock, the cleaner it burns. Anthracite is made up of up to 98% carbon. To put that into perspective, a rock with 100% carbon content would basically be pure energy and give off zero emissions. Black coal on the other hand, at best reaches 86% carbon content. This basically means Anthracite is a whole lot cleaner and energy efficient than all other “coals.”

  Even if all brick oven establishments stopped using coal, wood and anthracite, there would be no meaningful improvement to the city’s air quality.
  I urge City Hall not to enforce this rule which has been dormant for the past severn years.

  Comment added July 20, 2023 8:25am

• Vittorio Colombo

  This is not a solution for cleaner air in NYC and will make an insignificant difference. There are bigger polluters that have been over looked . Support small family owned business and the heritage of using this method of cooking to preserve the traditions of New York’s culinary establishments .

  Comment added July 20, 2023 10:46am

• Vincent Palumbo

  Please do not enforce this new oven ordinance. It waste more energy leaving another horrible carbon footprint on this planet. New York WAKE UP!! City Hall is running this city into the ground.

  Comment added July 20, 2023 11:55am

• Linda Evangelista

  Another reason to give up on NY

  Comment added July 20, 2023 12:30pm

• Linda Evangelista

  Another reason to want to leave NY

  Comment added July 20, 2023 12:31pm

• Taylor Pullinger

  Only a small number of restaurants will be affected by this rule, but they will each be severely impacted to the point that they may be forced to cease operations. This will mean a negligible reduction in particulate pollution in the city but exert a massive cost on the small business owners as well as put much-loved neighborhood institutions at risk. Since anthracite is considered to be a clean-burning fuel source, perhaps a compromise could be that if anthracite is used, the restaurants can be exempt from having to install chimney scrubber machines (which themselves would use energy and have a negative environmental impact). Only restaurants that use high smoke-generating fuels would be required to invest in scrubbers to minimize their pollution, creating a middle ground that provides multiple options for businesses to operate in a way that helps to keep the air clean.

  Comment added July 20, 2023 12:40pm

• Andrea Eisenman

  As a local and pizza enthusiast, I urge the city to reconsider enforcing the rule on chimney scrubbers. The impact on small businesses and the potential alteration of the authentic taste are concerns we can’t ignore. We don’t want to lose these long standing restaurants!

  Comment added July 20, 2023 1:17pm

• Jessica Sivos

  Brick oven pizzerias are part of our city’s culinary heritage, and we shouldn’t let unnecessary regulations ruin their authenticity. I stand with Don Giovanni’s in opposing the enforcement of chimney scrubbers!

  Comment added July 20, 2023 1:32pm

• Geraldinne arzola

  “As a local and pizza enthusiast, I urge the city to reconsider enforcing the rule on chimney scrubbers. The impact on small businesses and the potential alteration of the authentic taste are concerns we can’t ignore.”

  Comment added July 20, 2023 1:46pm

• Minette Gorelik

  What a ridiculous waste of time and energy. There are so many more important things to worry about than pizza ovens. Politicians are always passing laws which, while they may make sense in theory, are not practical…and are not funded. We should be concentrating on homelessness, crime, loss of jobs, etc., not pizza ovens.

  Comment added July 20, 2023 1:49pm

• Stephen Downey

  Please reconsider enforcing this rule on existing brick ovens. While the pursuit of cleaner air is good, the negative outcome from this rule is far, far greater. If anything should be ‘grandfathered in’, these ovens qualify. Please.

  Comment added July 20, 2023 1:53pm

• Michael cruz

  this is an egregious overstep of the state and local government, and puts an unreasonable burden on small businesses that have already endured tremendous hardships over the last 3 years.

  Comment added July 20, 2023 1:57pm

• Iris M VanLeuvan

  Leave the brick pizza ovens alone! We don’t want anyone messing with our Brick oven pizzas!!!

  Comment added July 20, 2023 1:59pm

• Joseph Vanleuvan

  Brick Oven pizza restaurants is a New York Institute we want our brick oven pizzas

  Comment added July 20, 2023 2:05pm

• Maggie Jiang

  The charm and flavor of brick oven pizza rely on the traditional cooking methods. Let’s support our local pizzerias and reject the implementation of costly and unnecessary equipment. Count me in!

  Comment added July 20, 2023 2:06pm

• American Council of Engineering Companies of New York (ACEC New York)

  About ACEC New York: The American Council of Engineering Companies of New York (ACEC New York) is an association representing nearly 300 engineering and affiliate firms with 30,000 employees across New York, with a concentrated presence in New York City. We thank the NYC DEP for this opportunity to submit comments on the proposed rule.

  Founded in New York City in 1921, our association is one of the oldest continuing organizations of professional consulting engineers in the United States. Our members are the professional engineers who design the mechanical, electrical, energy performance, structural, plumbing, civil, environmental, fire protection and technology systems for buildings and infrastructure across New York. ACEC New York members have a proud history of providing technical expertise to city agencies and
  officials as needed to update, advance, and amend laws and codes to address modern needs. For example, during the city’s last comprehensive Construction Code revision cycle (2017 – 2021), over 100 of our members contributed significant work by volunteering serving on NYC DOB’s Technical Committees to update the code.

  Comments: Our Mechanical Code Committee reviewed the proposed rule. Comments are outlined below (NOTE – ALSO SEE ATTACHMENT):
  – 62-02 (a): Who is responsible for performing the assessment and installation. Building owner or tenant operator?
  – 62-02 (b) – 180 days to install the Emissions Control Device is not adequate considering lead time and potential complexities when installing the device.
  – 62-02 (c) – A less efficient emissions control device “shall be installed prior to operation of the cook stove”, however this being an existing cook stove, the cooking operation would have to shut down from submission of the assessment report until installation of the Emissions Control Device
  creating a hardship for the operator. This does not correspond with the 180 days permitted for the higher efficiency device.
  – 62-02: The factors that would be considered by the variance process should be clarified. It is essential that both cost and constructability be considered since conditions in existing buildings can make the installation of an Emission Control Device excessively expensive and/or physically
  challenging.
  – 62-04: Stoves must be certified to UL 2162. Fans must be UL 762. This could be a hardship for existing equipment installed before UL requirements.
  – 62-04 (e) – typo
  – 62-05 – typo
  – 62-06 – O&M should be in accordance with manufacturer’s “instructions”, not “specifications” (2022 NYC MC update made the change to “manufacturer’s instructions” throughout)
  – 62-07 – Is it the intent of Paragraph 62-07 of this Rule to require that all Emissions Control Devices are to be certified by the Department or is on-site performance testing without Department certification acceptable? Paragraph 62-07 of this Rule should clarify the intent.

  Comment attachment
  Comments_Proposed-Rule-on-cook-stove-emissions.pdf

  Comment added July 20, 2023 2:09pm

• Danny Dang

  “Brick oven pizzerias are part of our city’s culinary heritage, and we shouldn’t let unnecessary regulations ruin their authenticity. I stand with Don Giovanni’s in opposing the enforcement of chimney scrubbers.”
  “The charm and flavor of brick oven pizza rely on the traditional cooking methods. Let’s support our local pizzerias and reject the implementation of costly and unnecessary equipment. Count me in!”
  “As a local and pizza enthusiast, I urge the city to reconsider enforcing the rule on chimney scrubbers. The impact on small businesses and the potential alteration of the authentic taste are concerns we can’t ignore.”
  With all of that being said… we hope the city to reconsider its position and look for the solution to help impacted local small businesses that are the pillar of the community.

  Comment added July 20, 2023 2:53pm

• Ashley Slaughter

  Please, grandfather these cherished old coal oven institutions without requiring them to install scrubbers. Introducing such upgrades would only be the begging of a costly process, potentially exceeding $100,000 when factoring in expenses for architects, licensing, rebuilding, flue and more. Unfortunately, this financial burden could lead to their eventual shutdown.

  Comment added July 20, 2023 3:26pm

• Helen

  pizza can’t be ruined!!

  Comment added July 20, 2023 3:39pm

• Robbie

  I really like the pizza dont get rid of it

  Comment added July 20, 2023 3:40pm

• Alex Delgado

  STOP ATTACKING HARDWORKING TAXPAYERS and start putting your efforts in abolishing homelessness and the hundred of illegal activities these non-taxpayers bring about on a daily basis, such as drug smuggling, rape, vandalism, breaking into private properties, building shacks or setting up tents on sidewalks and/or any other public right of way – START DOING THE WORK THAT YOU ARE BEING PAID FOR BY THOSE ESTABLISHMENTS YOU ARE ATTACKING WITH YOUR NEW RIDICULOUS REGULATIONS…YOU.. HOW ABOUT STARTING WITH THE BIG OIL CORPORATIONS??? THOSE ARE POLLUTING WAY MUCH MORE THAN A BRICK OVEN!!! STOP YOUR ATTACK ON TAXPAYERS, OR YOU WILL FACE AN UPRISING OF THE PEOPLE… WE ARE GETTING TIRED OF ALL THE ABUSE!!! STOP, STOP, STOP ATTACKING TAXPAYERS AND START DOING YOUR JOB, STARR PROVIDING A SECURE ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL. YOU CAN’T EXPECT AN ESTABLISHMENT TO DISH 100K TO ABIDE TO A NEW LAW… THAT IN ITSELF IS CRIMINAL ON YOUR PART!! Otherwise, offer financial help to these establishments in order to continue in business

  Comment added July 20, 2023 3:48pm

• Molly Faust

  I am a long-time New Yorker and I love pizza. Oven pizzerias are part of our city’s culinary heritage, and we shouldn’t let unnecessary regulations ruin their authenticity and put undo costs on small businesses that are still recovering from the Covid shutdowns. I stand with Don Giovanni’s and other local pizzerias in opposing the enforcement of chimney scrubbers.

  Comment added July 20, 2023 4:10pm

• Luis Romero

  Please, grandfather these cherished old coal oven institutions without requiring them to install scrubbers. Introducing such upgrades would only be the begging of a costly process, potentially exceeding $100,000 when factoring in expenses for architects, licensing, rebuilding, flue and more. Unfortunately, this financial burden could lead to their eventual shutdown.

  Comment added July 20, 2023 4:48pm

• Michael J. Scavera

  I’ve been a customer of Don Giovanni’s on 10th Avenue since 2011. The coal they use does not produce thick black smoke. That kind of coal is called bituminous coal, better known as black coal. Most pizzerias (if not all) who would be affected by this rule use a power source called anthracite, the cleanest coal possible and ignites with difficulty smokeless flame.

  They cannot afford to absorb the cost and would go out of business.

  Comment added July 20, 2023 4:48pm

• Dean Bregman

  Ridiculous legislation proposal that once again penalizes small businesses instead of chasing after mass conglomerates that pollute on a much larger scale. This is government overreach at its finest seeking to use restaurants and small businesses as a scapegoat and to distract tax payers from the real offenders.

  Comment added July 20, 2023 5:27pm

• steve willer

  Please do not ruin the livelihood for these small businesses by implementing this legislation

  Comment added July 20, 2023 5:38pm

• Stephen Willer

  This legislation would be harmful to small businesses and put them out of business and I therefore oppose it.

  Comment added July 20, 2023 5:40pm

• Lauren Scigliano

  Pizza ovens such as the one at Don Giovanni’s is iconic and meaningful to generations of families (not only New Yorkers but those of us who visit these restaurants specifically for the pizza). We travel into NYC a few times each year specifically to dine at Don Giovanni. Removing these iconic ovens would be a detriment to the authenticity of NYC and to tourism!

  Comment added July 20, 2023 5:43pm

• Molly

  Bad idea ruining small businesses

  Comment added July 20, 2023 5:45pm

• Mustapha

  The City should help small business not put them out of business by requiring them to install expensive equipments. many small business closed during and after the pandemic. this new rule put many Pizza restaurants that operates a coal or wood oven out of business and that will be a big mistake if the city will not help with covering the cost of these new equipment.

  Comment added July 20, 2023 6:07pm

• Subhangi Giri

  The charm & flavor of brick oven pizza rely on the traditional cooking method. Let’s support our local pizzeria.

  Comment added July 20, 2023 6:11pm

• Eric Daniels

  Having to install scrubbers would only add to the emissions that the small amount of coal burning pizza shops put out. Please allow them to keep operating as is. If anything, enforce anthracite as the only allowed coal source to ensure as little emissions as possible.

  Comment added July 20, 2023 6:19pm

• David Paulk

  Why don’t we focus on stopping the top greenhouse emitter which is responsible for emitting over 10% of all our greenhouse gases to supply the other kind of coal? https://amp.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2017/jul/10/100-fossil-fuel-companies-investors-responsible-71-global-emissions-cdp-study-climate-change

  Comment added July 20, 2023 7:00pm

• Gerald Brown

  We love our brick oven pizza. We would hate for our small businesses to suffer due to zoning and other provisions given that are not necessary.

  Comment added July 20, 2023 7:52pm

• Kelly Brown

  I think the bill is unfair as it places a financial burden on small businesses! I love brick oven pizza! Take the bill and throw it away..

  Comment added July 20, 2023 7:56pm

• Anda Salgau

  Please STOP this nonsense ..!! These establishments that are using these types of ovens are a staple to NYC and are here for us , locals to enjoy and for all the tourists that are enjoying them tremendously.

  Comment added July 20, 2023 8:37pm

• Eugene Ivanov

  While I understand the importance of reducing emissions, we mustalso consider the impact on small businesses, especially our beloved brick oven pizzerias. These establishments are an essential part of our city’s culture. They simply cannot afford more expenses. Hurting them is the last thing NYC wants to do. This tegulation will accomplish nothing, it only will make running a restaurant in the city unsustainable and mean less jobs for new yorkers.

  Comment added July 20, 2023 9:42pm

• Andrea

  I am totally in favor of reducing air pollution in our city, but there are so many sources that impact of air pollution the most as AC/cars.
  The number of coal fired pizza ovens in NYC is too low to make the difference on the air pollution issue.
  Focus on the big sources, brick oven pizzerias are part of our city’s culinary heritage, and we shouldn’t let unnecessary regulations ruin their authenticity.

  Comment added July 21, 2023 11:44am

• Arthi A.

  Taking action to reduce emissions and help stop climate change is commendable. However, I don’t think this proposed rule is the right move.

  The amount of emissions coming from such a specific, small source is negligible. In order to most effectively take action against climate change, we need to go after big companies and industries that produce the most emissions. It doesn’t make sense to put the burden on small businesses when they are a tiny, tiny fraction of emissions. This comes across as lip service to address environmental issues while letting the actual perpetrators of the problem get off scot-free, because targeting bigger companies/institutions is more challenging to accomplish politically.

  On top of all this, wood-fired pizza ovens are an important part of the culture of New York City, and if businesses were not able to continue operating due to these new expenses, they would be lost. I urge policymakers to target the biggest producers of emissions, rather than burdening ordinary people and small businesses.

  Comment added July 21, 2023 12:02pm

• Lisa Sonatore

  I urge the city to reconsider enforcing the rule on chimney scrubbers. The negative impact on already struggling small businesses that my family likes to visit and the unproven and most likely incredibly minor benefits to air quality are the two main reasons why this rule should be shelved.

  Comment added July 21, 2023 12:28pm

• Pedro Freitas

  “Brick oven pizzerias are part of our city’s culinary heritage, and we shouldn’t let unnecessary regulations ruin their authenticity. I stand with Don Giovanni’s in opposing the enforcement of chimney scrubbers.”

  Comment added July 21, 2023 12:59pm

• Heather Green

  I stand with city pizza shops who are faced with expensive and unnecessary modifications to their already healthy cooking practices. Please consider not imposing this new law, as it affects small business owners who have been operating efficiently and safely for many years.

  Comment added July 21, 2023 4:07pm

• Shiva Prasad

  Break oven is pride of nyc pizza. We should not shut it down

  Comment added July 21, 2023 4:18pm

• Paul Kitching

  Please let these guys cook the way they currently do as the food is unbelievable and authentic, best pizza I’ve ever had !!!!!!

  Comment added July 21, 2023 5:47pm

• Jason Momoa

  This shouldn’t be forced upon local business when their craft is so incredible. The pizza I have eaten here at Don Giovani is by far some of the best I have ever had. By inflicting this rule you not only hurt the businesses but the customers too.

  Comment added July 21, 2023 5:49pm

• Juliet Reyes

  Save small businesses!

  Comment added July 21, 2023 6:14pm

• clare

  i ♥️ pizza

  Comment added July 21, 2023 6:16pm

• Nicole

  It’s not New York without our brick oven pizzas.

  Comment added July 21, 2023 6:59pm

• Alex Glassman

  This is stupid and a big overstep. Please don’t do this.

  Comment added July 21, 2023 9:36pm

• Julio

  As a local and pizza enthusiast, I urge the city to reconsider enforcing the rule on chimney scrubbers. The impact on small businesses and the potential alteration of the authentic taste are concerns we can’t ignore.

  Comment added July 22, 2023 1:46am

• Michael Evans

  Brick oven pizzerias are part of our city’s culinary heritage, and we shouldn’t let unnecessary regulations ruin their authenticity. I stand with Don Giovanni’s in opposing the enforcement of chimney scrubbers.

  Comment added July 22, 2023 7:42am

• Michael gelbart

  Absurd law

  Comment added July 22, 2023 8:57am

• William

  Estoy en desacuerdo por la caridad y savor de la pizza preparada con estos Horne

  Comment added July 22, 2023 12:44pm

• Thomas Lees

  Whilst I support efforts to ensure clean air / reduce emissions this needs to be balanced. For small restaurant grants should be provided to allow them to fit the control devices along with ongoing support / tax breaks for maintaining this equipment. Perhaps the money to fund this could come from a daily charge on allowing to most polluting vehicles to enter Manhattan? Works in other cities!

  Comment added July 22, 2023 12:52pm

• Ravitta Bhatia

  We support Don Giovanni

  Comment added July 22, 2023 1:05pm

• Jessica Shipley

  I love brick oven pizza. Don’t take it away!!!

  Comment added July 22, 2023 1:53pm

• Drew Shipley

  DONT TAKE AWAY OUR BRICK OVENS!!!!!! This is so sad all these businesses will have to shutdown

  Comment added July 22, 2023 1:54pm

• Srikanth c

  NYC pizza must be saved . This bill in unfair in the owners of pizza joints .

  Comment added July 22, 2023 1:55pm

• Jenny Carroll

  SAVE THE ZA!!!!

  Comment added July 22, 2023 1:56pm

• Eileen McMenamin

  I love New York pizza. It’s been a staple for several years. I’m so upset about this bill. I really hope this petition drive positive change so we can save all of our delicious pizza shops in NYC.

  Comment added July 22, 2023 1:56pm

• Hannah Linskens

  Save NYC pizza!!

  Comment added July 22, 2023 1:57pm

• Kara

  Brick oven pizzas are what makes NYC NYC. NYC will not be the same without brick ovens. Save the za!

  Comment added July 22, 2023 1:57pm

• Sahana Chandrasekhar

  This rule is wrong and unfair

  Comment added July 22, 2023 2:19pm

• Jenny He

  Save oven fired pizzas!!!

  Comment added July 22, 2023 2:54pm

• Branton Li

  I reckon you do need a brick oven simply for the headline marketing and it’s useful to differentiate between pizza chains. The charm and flavor of brick oven pizza rely on the traditional cooking methods. Let’s support our local pizzerias and reject the implementation of costly and unnecessary equipment.

  Comment added July 22, 2023 2:55pm

• Brianna Sumpter

  Brick oven pizzerias are part of our city’s culinary heritage, and we shouldn’t let unnecessary regulations ruin their authenticity. I stand with Don Giovanni’s in opposing the enforcement of chimney scrubbers.

  Comment added July 22, 2023 3:01pm

• Al Fuller

  There is more pollution caused by cars and airplanes than coal and wood fired ovens at pizzerias.

  I feel this would add further financial burden to small businesses and that we have bigger priorities like the replacing of the BQE than this.

  Comment added July 22, 2023 3:02pm

• Samantha Caro

  Save the pizza!

  Comment added July 22, 2023 3:31pm

• Leon Kurahara

  This is a crazy idea that will impact many small businesses here in NYC

  Comment added July 22, 2023 5:21pm

• Edward Mattice

  Don’t ruin our pie!

  Comment added July 22, 2023 5:25pm

• Melissa

  Please do not restrict wood/coal oven pizzas

  Comment added July 22, 2023 5:25pm

• James Heenan

  Please do not ruin a great thing!

  Comment added July 22, 2023 5:27pm

• Mila Milosevic

  The charm and flavor of brick oven pizza rely on the traditional cooking methods. Let’s support our local pizzerias and reject the implementation of costly and unnecessary equipment. These businesses have gone through so much and are barely staying open – this would be another unnecessary burden on them!

  Comment added July 23, 2023 10:24am

• Benny U Otero

  Save the pizza!!

  Comment added July 23, 2023 12:44pm

• Elizabeth

  We want to save out New York pizza!!!!

  Comment added July 23, 2023 12:45pm

• ivan

  Same the pizza it’s mad good

  Comment added July 23, 2023 12:45pm

• Katelyn padovano

  We love our NYC pizza it brings people together sharing a pizza pie Let’s not ruin that

  Comment added July 23, 2023 12:46pm

• Winter Vinson

  SAVE THE NYC PIZZA!!

  Comment added July 23, 2023 12:46pm

• Avize batalova

  Brick oven pizzerias are part of our city’s culinary heritage, and we shouldn’t let unnecessary regulations ruin their authenticity. I stand with Don Giovanni’s in opposing the enforcement of chimney scrubbers

  Comment added July 23, 2023 1:09pm

• Veronica F

  The charm and flavor of brick oven pizza rely on the traditional cooking methods. Let’s support our local pizzerias and reject the implementation of costly and unnecessary equipment. Count me in!

  Comment added July 23, 2023 1:10pm

• Tanja

  Nice ambiente, nice food, nice staff. Would vorm back again 🙂

  Comment added July 23, 2023 1:24pm

• Holmes Stoner

  I oppose this legislation as currently proposed.

  Comment added July 23, 2023 2:04pm

• Imagine

  Eliminate cars from NYC first.

  Comment added July 23, 2023 9:11pm

• Feruzakhon Rakhmanova

  Please NYC, don’t shut down oven Pizza.
  Oven Pizza’s are the best, we all love it.
  Oven Pizza makes New York so special ♥️

  Comment added July 23, 2023 10:32pm

• Mike Orsene

  I love old school pizza

  Comment added July 24, 2023 9:53am

• Luke Failla

  Pizza is a lifeline to this city. We must protect it at all costs. Ban private jets and commuter helicopters and then come back and see me about this. Don’t let this pass.

  Comment added July 24, 2023 11:50am

• Thomas Kurahara

  Brick oven pizzerias are part of our city’s culinary heritage, and we shouldn’t let unnecessary regulations ruin their authenticity. I stand with Don Giovanni’s in opposing the enforcement of chimney scrubbers.

  Comment added July 24, 2023 7:21pm

• Mie Kurahara

  I no longer live in NYC, but my 98 yr old father does, and we count on the continued deliciousness of brick oven pizza. Especially from Don Giovanni or local Italian eatery. Many of our older friends have also counted on the comfort of the food at a place like Don Giovanni. Don’t take that away. The cost inflicted may cause the restaurant to fail! Please grandfather in this NYC tradition!

  Comment added July 24, 2023 7:37pm

• Danny DePamphilis

  This requirement will clearly greatly hurt if not result in the closing of many of these long standing mom and pop pizza places.
  These longstanding neighborhood places that managed to barely survive the COVID shutdowns now are facing another ” straw that breaks the camel’s back situation”
  Please try to consider the harm vs. benefit.
  In my opinion the harm will be GREAT and the benefit negligible.
  If these type if mom and pop places are forced to close due to the unbearable expense to comply it will not ONLY hurt the hard working owners and employees but also the immediate neighborhood when when another long-standing neighborhood fixture suddenly has a STORE FOR RENT sign in the window.
  Please think about this.
  DD

  Comment added July 25, 2023 4:58pm

• Suzanne Barraza

  If any of those who are against making our city more livable by opposing this reasonable measure have endured, as I have, a 4-hour surgery to remove a malignant tumor and one and a third lobes of a lung, with a painful 5-month recovery, and the threat of the deadliest cancer of all returning in the future, and was never a smoker, then I think you may see things from a different perspective. A slice of pizza is not worth a life cut short.

  For those of you expressing outrage at this proposal, I suggest you ignore the Post and turn to a CNN article:

  https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/27/business/nyc-pizza-oven-explainer/index.html

  It lays out the facts in a balanced, non-hysterical way. Otherwise, right or left, you are in the company of these people: Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee tweeted…that “New York City wants to ban wood-fired pizzerias,” adding that “in the name of their climate agenda, the Left wants to destroy small businesses.” Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, in a video accused a “pink-haired crazy liberal” of waking up from a nap and deciding to “get rid of coal-oven pizzerias in New York City.” Elon Musk also had an opinion, saying on Twitter that the rule is “total bs,” adding that “it won’t make a difference to climate change.”

  Here is a summary from the CNN article of the actual rule that so many of you are against:

  “According to the city, the rule requires that relevant restaurants have to hire an engineer or architect “to assess the feasibility of installing emission controls on the cook stove to achieve a 75% reduction in particulate emissions.”

  If that level of reduction is not possible, “the assessment must identify any emission controls that could provide a reduction of at least 25% or an explanation for why no emission controls can be installed.” Basically, the restaurant just has to show the city that it has done its due diligence, and make a change if possible. The rule wouldn’t go into effect until later in the summer.”

  This sounds very reasonable, and not as draconian as some are trying to portray.

  As for claiming that the pizza taste would be changed, here’s testimony from an actual pizzeria owner who implemented the change on his own:

  https://news.yahoo.com/the-new-york-city-pizza-stove-controversy-explained-192950661.html

  “If an assessment finds it is feasible to install pollution controls, they would have to be added within six months. Paul Giannone, owner of a pizza restaurant in Brooklyn that installed the technology in 2019, told the Post it cost $20,000. (A restaurant could instead switch to an electric or gas oven, but commercial models may also cost more than $10,000.)….removing pollution from smoke doesn’t change the taste of the food in the oven. Air filtration systems are already widely used in Italy (although pizzeria owners there have also objected to the cost of installing them).“ The pizzeria owner went on to say…”“If someone is trying to say that putting the scrubber in changes the flavor of the pizza, they’re just trying to save themselves $20,000,” Giannone said. “No, it doesn’t affect what’s going on inside the oven.”
  Giannone said that adding the filter was “a huge hassle” but that his neighbors have stopped complaining about the smoke from his shop since he installed it.

  By the way, according to an article at CBS.com

  https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/proposed-pizzeria-rules-could-slice-brick-oven-emissions-by-75/

  “The rules would also apply to some residential buildings, which have started to comply by converting their boilers to capture carbon dioxide.”

  Are those of you complaining about the rich in the comment section opposed to co-ops and condos converting their boilers so we all can breathe better?

  The website, “Heated,” points out that this is an air pollution measure, not a climate rule, as many in the press have claimed. The rule, which I doubt many have read, is actually quoted on the website. This is about particulate emissions—-you know, the ones we all were forced to breathe in when the wildfire smoke arrived from Canada? Any of you against this air pollution measure, please raise your hands and repeat after me, “Yes, please, can we have more particulate matter in our air?”

  ““We’re talking about the wildfires and bad air from Canada? Workers with these coal- and wood-oven-fired pizzerias are breathing in a wildfire every day,” Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, who wrote the bill when he was on the council, told the Post.”

  From Heated.com:

  https://heated.world/p/climate-activists-are-not-coming

  “if you look at the actual text of the proposed rule (not linked to in any of these stories, but it starts on Page 2967 of the New York City Record for Friday, June 23 if you’d like to read it) the words “carbon,” “carbon emissions,” and “climate change” never appear. 

  Instead, the proposed rule states that coal- and wood-fired cook stoves covered by the rule are only asked to reduce particulate matter emissions by 75 percent. 

  Particulate pollution and carbon pollution are not the same thing. Particulate pollution refers to the tiny pieces of solids and liquids that we can breathe into our lungs and harm our health: think smoke, smog, dirt, and soot. Carbon pollution refers to the greenhouse gas that warms the planet. 
  This is an air pollution rule. It’s not a climate rule.”

  I, for one, would like to insure that my remaining lung will not be destroyed by more particulates in the air we all share. I am the “canary in the coal mine.” (If some of you don’t understand the reference, it is from the old practice of keeping a canary in a cage with the miners deep in the mines, who of course many of whom contracted “black lung disease,” a horrible death that was deemed “okay” by the owners of the mines, who were more interested in profits than human lives. The canary would sing every day, but one day it would stop singing. That was because it had inhaled enough coal matter (same particulates we’re talking about here) to kill it. At that point, when the miners noticed the deadly silence, they were allowed to go to the surface. Of course, it was already too late for many of them.

  I will keep singing about this issue. When you no longer hear from me, then it’s time for you to prepare for your own uncertain future, and perhaps to reflect upon whether you listened to the right voices.

  Comment added July 26, 2023 8:10pm

• Dennis Sarlo

  The new rule is, frankly, ridiculous. The city does not need to be going after small businesses, especially those who barely made it out of COVID intact. We were told to support local businesses, keep them afloat through 2020-1… and now these new environmental regulations (which won’t make a dent in global warming, pollution, or air quality) are going to cost them tens of thousands of dollars. It will ruin small businesses and (maybe worse!) pizza, in the city that’s known for it. No one is going to pay $40 for a pizza when prices are forced to go up. Give it a rest and focus on one of our many actual issues.

  Comment added July 26, 2023 9:25pm

• Trevor Summerfield

  The American Lung Association supports these proposed rules. Please see formal comments attached.

  Comment attachment
  American-Lung-Association-Statement-Wood-and-Coal-NYC.docx

  Comment added July 27, 2023 8:34am

• Edward A. DiTomasso

  I believe the guest speaker identified as “Kim” spoke very eloquently on this topic; and would urge the committee to go back and listen to her recorded statement. It was fact specific and on point with an understanding of the realistic ramifications involved with working with multiple city agencies on one issue.
  I would also reiterate the points raised by Kevin J (also on the recorded statements) , with regard to “actual” costs and the various ancillary issued dealing with the existing buildings within the city, noting the fact that John’s restaurant is already in compliance and spoke with actual knowledge, not guess work.

  Comment added July 27, 2023 12:04pm

• GLENN SHERMAN

  While it’s important to protect the environment, it shouldn’t be done with a heavy hand that will harm our small business such as restaurants. so many independently owned restaurants still struggle to stay afloat in the aftermath of Covid 19. many cannot survive another “hit” such as a mandatory overhaul to their exhaust system. the concentration should be on the bigger companies that do the most damage to the environment. additionally, those using low emission coal such as ANTHRACITE should be spared this expense since they are already compliant. As we see so many “for rent” signs in NYC’s commercial spaces post-Covid, we should be reminded to value and protect small business and the vitality of our beloved city. thank you.

  Comment added July 27, 2023 12:54pm

• Lauren Peelen

  Cook ovens that use anthracite coal are already using a cleaner burning fuel for their ovens. Many of the restaurants that are affected by these regulations are small businesses in older buildings that are well established purveyors of New York’s famous pizza. Meeting the standards set forth by this rule would have a negative financial impact on these restaurants that make up the fabric of the NYC food & pizza culture. Furthermore, there is the question of jeopardizing the taste and quality of the pizza to meet these standards. Since the number of restaurants that fall under these guidelines is so small, there will be an insignificant impact on air quality. The DEP should be spending their time and resources on bigger, more impactful measures and leave small businesses alone.

  Comment added July 27, 2023 3:46pm