HUDSON, NH – This afternoon, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) announced the reintroduction of her new bill, the Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act, during an event at the Hudson Fire Department.   Kuster’s bill would help states implement important programs that reduce the risk of death by carbon monoxide poisoning.  She was joined at the event by New Hampshire Fire Marshal J. William Degnan and fire officials from Hudson and Nashua.  According to the Centers for Disease Control, carbon monoxide poisoning results in over 400 deaths and 20,000 emergency visits each year; this past winter, there were two incidents in Hudson in which people were treated for severe carbon monoxide poisoning. And just last year, three people died after a carbon monoxide poisoning incident in Plaistow.

“I’m proud to introduce this legislation, which would help protect New Hampshire families from the grave dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning,” said Congresswoman Annie Kuster. “Carbon monoxide poisoning is the leading cause of accidental poisoning death in the United States, and is a particular concern in cold-weather states like New Hampshire. We must ensure that families have the resources they need – which in many cases, is something as simple as a properly functioning CO detector – to heat their homes safely and without incident. I urge Congress to swiftly pass my bill into law.”

Congresswoman Kuster first introduced her Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act after the State Fire Marshal and a delegation of New Hampshire fire chiefs met with her last year and urged Congress to address the CO-poisoning crisis. Among other things, Kuster’s bill will establish a federal grant program to help states implement CO prevention education programs, and to help pay for the installation of CO detectors in schools and in the homes of elderly and low-income residents. These grants would be prioritized for states like New Hampshire that require the installation of CO detectors, and would encourage other states to follow the Granite State’s example. Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN) is the sponsor of companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.

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