Thread by @Perla_Trevizo

Portable generators are 1 of the most dangerous consumer products on the market.

They can emit as much carbon monoxide as 450 cars

Kill an avg of 70 people in the U.S./yr

Injure thousands

The government has known about the danger for decades yet deaths continue. THREAD

2/ We found that the February winter storm that left millions of Texans without power resulted in the largest CO poisoning event in recent history.
+1,400 residents went to the hospital.
At least 17 died — including 10 as a result of portable generators. propublica.org/article/carbon…

3/ The @USCPSC tried to require portable generators to emit less CO.
Instead, the industry has pushed for adding a cheaper alternative: automatic shut off sensors.

While good, safety advocates say there are still “potentially life-threatening gaps."
consumerreports.org/portable-gener…

4/ The generator industry says their products are safe, particularly when people follow operating instructions like keeping them outside and far away from windows or doors to prevent exhaust from seeping inside.
takeyourgeneratoroutside.com

5/ The continued danger posed by portable generators is part of a broader failure at every level of government to protect residents from carbon monoxide, a yearlong investigation by @propublica, @thetexastribune and @NBCNews has found.

6/ A patchwork of lax policies and safety gaps leaves residents vulnerable to the invisible danger.

Texas was 1 of 6 states without any statewide requirements for carbon monoxide alarms.

(State officials didn’t respond to requests for comment)

propublica.org/article/texas-…

7/ Since our initial reporting, Texas passed a new law that will require CO alarms in new homes.

But it still leaves out the state's 10 million existing residences, making the regulation weaker than in 29 other states.

texastribune.org/2021/09/03/tex…

8/ And emergency departments are at times ill-equipped to respond to these poisonings.


In Aug. we reported the Houston Fire Dept responded to a 911 call but left without making contact w/ the family.

Hours later, responders found mother & daughter dead from CO poisoning.

9/ The decision to leave before making contact with the family, along with similar cases across the country, point to a need for policy changes to avoid such tragedies in the future, experts told us.
propublica.org/article/texas-…

10/ Through 911 calls and emergency reports, we witnessed families face an impossible choice between hypothermia and staying warm.

It has been a harrowing experience but also a constant reminder of why it’s important to keep raising awareness of CO.

nbcnews.com/video/panicked…

11/While natural disasters can hit all communities, we’ve found those who are the most marginalized — often residents of color and immigrants — are disproportionately poisoned and killed by carbon monoxide.

12/As climate change & aging infrastructure cause worse storms and longer outages, experts warn of CO poisoning as more turn to portable generators — a trend that benefits manufacturers’ bottom line while putting more people at risk.
Read the full story: texastribune.org/2021/12/17/tex…

13/ Meanwhile, the Texas legislature likely won't propose stricter CO alarm regulations until at least 2023 — same year the CPSC could take its next step toward stronger generator rules.

And @SuzyKhimm, @Mike_Hixenbaugh, @renLarson_, @lchurchill and I will stay on top of it.