New York CNN — Lawmakers and prominent social media personalities have in recent days rallied against a proposed New York City rule that some say would crack down on the city’s beloved pizzerias. Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee tweeted Monday that “New York City wants to ban wood-fired pizzerias,” adding that “in the name of their climate agenda, the Left wants to destroy small businesses.” Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, in a video accused a “pink-haired crazy liberal” of waking up from a nap and deciding to “get rid of coal-oven pizzerias in New York City.” Elon Musk also had an opinion, saying on Twitter that the rule is “total bs,” adding that “it won’t make a difference to climate change.” Some pizza operators complained about the cost of abiding by the new rule, and warned that New York City pizza would not be the same. Someone even threw pizza at City Hall in protest (more on that later). New York City is famously and deservedly known for its pizza. Is the city really trying to mess with that reputation? Here’s what you need to know. I hear New York City is trying to ban delicious pizza. Is it? No. Come on. So what’s the deal? In Friday’s issue of the City Record, the city’s official journal that shares legal notices and other news, the city announced a “notice of public hearing and opportunity to comment on proposed rules.” The rule in question, which comes from the city’s Department of Environmental Protection, would require restaurants with wood- or coal-fired ovens installed prior to May 2016 to seriously consider adding devices that would reduce particulate emissions. Despite the uproar, it’s a fairly lenient proposal. Essentially, the proposed rule is trying to ensure that restaurants using older ovens are aligned with the regulations applied to newer ones. As of May 2016, the city requires that every new stove must have “an emission control device for odors, smoke and particulate matter.” The city estimates that well under 100 restaurants would be impacted by the new rule. One decades-old joint that uses a coal-fired oven, Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, told CNN in a statement that it is “committed to providing our guests with our pizza’s award-winning taste while complying with all regulatory requirements,” adding that “we are currently reviewing what actions, if any, may be necessary to comply with legislation set by New York City Department of Environmental Protection.” So, why does the city want to reduce emissions in this way? Because this type of pollution is dangerous for your health, and bad for the environment. “All New Yorkers deserve to breathe healthy air and wood and coal-fired stoves are among the largest contributors of harmful pollutants in neighborhoods with poor air quality,” Edward “Ted” Timbers, a spokesperson for the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, said in a statement to CNN. “This common-sense rule, developed with restaurant and environmental justice groups, requires a professional review of whether installing emission controls is feasible,” he noted. There are nasty health implications to spending a lot of time around coal- or wood-fired stoves, said Michael Seilback, national assistant vice president of state public policy for the American Lung Association. Is it feasible? According to the city, the rule requires that relevant restaurants have to hire an engineer or architect “to assess the feasibility of installing emission controls on the cook stove to achieve a 75% reduction in particulate emissions.” If that level of reduction is not possible, “the assessment must identify any emission controls that could provide a reduction of at least 25% or an explanation for why no emission controls can be installed.” Basically, the restaurant just has to show the city that it has done its due diligence, and make a change if possible. The rule wouldn’t go into effect until later in the summer.