On Sept. 18, Colorado became the first state to fully adopt more stringent standards meant to reduce climate-warming methane pollution from existing oil and gas sources.

The state’s Air Quality Control Commission voted unanimously to approve rules that go beyond minimum standards the EPA set for oil and gas methane pollution in 2024. The Trump Administration has not yet rolled back the Biden-era standards entirely but has moved to delay and weaken them.

“Reducing the harmful effects of climate change requires swift action to curb greenhouse gas emissions,” said Michael Ogletree, senior director of state air quality programs at the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment.

Colorado’s new regulations are meant to phase out 94,000 pneumatic controllers by 2029. These devices emit small puffs of methane into the atmosphere when they operate; regulators estimate removing them would match the impact of taking 104,000 gasoline-powered cars and trucks off the road.

Regulators also approved new control and repair standards for compressor stations, which force natural gas through pipelines. Other standards require more operators to capture natural gas that flows up alongside crude oil from oil wells instead of burning it, as well as increasing inspection requirements.