New Emissions Rule Threatens New York City Pizza Joints: Report

A proposed New York City rule requiring restaurants to lower their carbon emissions would hit old-school coal- and wood-fired pizza joints hard, forcing them to purchase pricy air filtration systems or alter their ovens to comply—a move that would destroy the iconic food’s crust, owners told the New York Post Sunday. The draft rule, which has not yet been approved, would require eateries to cut their 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,” a spokesperson for the city’s Department of Environmental Protection said in a statement Sunday. It’s unclear whether the rule will move ahead as written—with one restaurant owner telling the Post that negotiations remain ongoing over whether to grandfather in the few dozen coal- and wood-fired pizza joints in the city.