Consider 300 lives. That’s how many deaths we can help prevent by requiring all restaurants that heavily use charbroilers in New York City to properly capture the emissions they create, according to the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH).
Restaurants that use charbroilers to cook meat can produce tremendous amounts of particulate matter, which can negatively impact the health of not only employees but the surrounding community members, as well. In fact, particulate matter emissions from commercial cooking have steadily risen over the last decade.
Today, commercial cooking is New York City’s largest local source of air pollution — it accounts for twice as much as construction and transportation pollution.
That’s why the New York City Council passed a law to require restaurants with certain commercial charbroilers that cook large amounts of meat to install filtration devices on their exhaust systems. The City Council also directed the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to draft a rule requiring similar restaurants that were open before 2016 to install these filtration devices.
Just like wildfires, charbroilers release tiny particles — sometimes 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair — which are easily inhaled by humans and can get stuck deep in the lungs. These particles can even go directly into the bloodstream.
Exposure to elevated levels of air pollution, and the type produced by commercial charbroilers, is linked to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, including asthma attacks and lung cancer. In fact, New York City has among the highest rates of hospitalizations and deaths due to asthma among children and young adults in America; Black and Latino patients account for more than 80% of the cases, according to DOHMH.
The toll of air pollution also extends beyond public health. Asthma-related hospitalizations and missed work or school days cost the city millions of dollars each year. Addressing these emissions is not just about saving lives — it’s about reducing the long-term economic burden on families and health care systems.
New York neighborhoods with higher rates of poverty also have higher rates of nearby emissions and individuals with pre-existing illnesses that are more sensitive to air quality issues, including the South Bronx and Northern Manhattan. Childhood asthma in these communities is responsible for a large portion of emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and deaths.
This environmental justice issue underscores why this rule is so necessary. Residents of these neighborhoods, who often endure the cumulative impact of multiple pollution sources, deserve protections that other communities already enjoy. Charbroiler emissions disproportionately affect the city’s most vulnerable populations, and implementing this rule is a step toward leveling the playing field.
The charbroiler rule targets large commercial operations and only applies to establishments that cook more than 875 pounds of meat each week. Many restaurants would not be affected by the rule; fast food restaurants, for example, generally don’t charbroil on-site.
New York recognizes that implementation of rules like this is complex, and there is never a one-size-fits-all solution for each industry. That is why DEP carefully developed the charbroiler rule in consultation with an advisory committee that included not only environmental, public health experts and environmental justice advocates, but the restaurant industry itself.
There are also a wide range of stakeholders from the city Department of Small Business Services, the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, the NYS Restaurant Association, and the New York City Hospitality Alliance who are willing to help restaurants comply with the rule by identifying funding sources and connecting them with experts who can answer any questions and provide technical assistance.
Enforcement of this rule won’t begin until 2027, giving restaurants ample time to adjust and prepare. Additionally, there is a hardship provision that allows any establishment to apply for a waiver if compliance proves too burdensome.
As a city, we’ve already demonstrated our ability to tackle major sources of pollution. From reducing vehicle emissions, to cleaning up heating fuel, to modernizing construction practices, we’ve made meaningful progress. This rule is another opportunity to improve our air quality and protect public health while supporting a thriving restaurant industry.
We all deserve to breathe clean air. While New York City has made tremendous strides in cleaning the air we breathe, this rule will help us do more. If we can prevent 300 deaths a year from this air pollution, why wouldn’t we?
Seilback is the assistant vice president for nationwide advocacy and state public policy for the American Lung Association.