Even Pizza Rat Will Leave NYC Now

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Even Pizza Rat Will Leave NYC Now

Fox Business reports, “If there’s one thing about New York City you don’t mess with, it’s the pizza.”

In a move that may prove to be more unpopular that vandalizing art, environmental activists at the city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has proposed regulations that would require pizzerias with coal- and wood-fired ovens installed before 2016 to cut carbon emissions by 75%.

New York City pizzerias would face significant costs and changes if the new rules aimed at reducing carbon emissions are enacted. Fox Business reported it would involve installing filters and regularly inspecting emissions. Pizzeria owners are concerned about the financial burden, with estimates ranging from $20,000 to $25,000 for reducing emissions. Some owners argue that the regulations are unnecessary and could harm their businesses.

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Grimaldi’s Pizzeria owner Anthony Piscina expressed his main concern over the potential new regulation surrounding its impact on oven temperatures.

"We've got to keep this oven anywhere from 900 to 1,000 degrees [Fahrenheit]," Piscina told FOX Business’ Dagen McDowell and Sean Duffy. "We have customers that are miners that come in from Pennsylvania saying thank you for using the coal. This coal supports a lot of people. It makes jobs, it builds the country."

"We got to be concerned about the air, yes we do," Grimaldi’s owner continued, "but we got to worry about the people's jobs also and what the future will bring."

RELATED: NYC Man Protests: 'Give Us Pizza, or Give Us Death' (Newsmax)