Fighting For Matzah Bakeries

By BoroPark24 Staff

A new law introduced a few months ago by the Department of Environmental Protection would require coal and wood-fire eateries, matzah bakeries included, to install a costly air filtration system to slash the emissions coming from their traditional ovens. This law goes into effect on April 27, but one Staten Island assemblyman, Sam Pirozzolo, is trying to fight it. 

Pirozzolo argues that this rule is anti-business and would do little to actually help the fight against pollution. His memo also points out that Governor Hochul’s controversial bill to ban gas stoves and furnaces from new residential buildings gave an exception to existing restaurants, which this bill doesn’t. 

Pirozzolo’s proposed new bill, “Preserving Our Culinary Traditions Act” would waive the restrictions on the burning of wood, coal, natural gas, or other fuels for the purposes of cooking or preparing food. 

“I’m trying to stop discrimination against ethnic restaurants. These misguided laws go against businesses that cook ethnic cuisine,” Pirozzolo said. “A cop just got killed. People are getting thrown in front of subway trains. We have people dying from overdoses and a migrant crisis we didn’t ask for. But we’re going after wood-burning pizza? It’s misguided. Let’s get our priorities straight.”

We couldn’t agree more.