Chicago is cracking down on oil.

But rather than regulating the stuff you put in your car, the city is attempting to ban cooking oils that contain trans fatty acids.

Alderman Edward Burke, who is the chairman of the City Council's Finance Committee, introduced a proposal on Wednesday to become the first city in the nation to place a ban on restaurants' use of the artery-clogging oil. Under the proposal, restaurants could face fines of up to $1,000 a day if caught cooking with artificial trans fats.

The proposal, which Chicago's Mayor Richard M. Daley has criticized harshly, has also attracted the ire of local restaurateurs, who would no longer be able to rely on the relatively cheap trans fat oils.

Researchers have linked trans fats with elevated cholesterol and an increased risk of heart disease, and the federal government has recommended people consume as little trans fats as possible.

The trans fat ban proposal comes one month after the City Council passed a citywide ban on another controversial food substance–foie gras.