Colorado officials have agreed to enact more stringent regulations on ozone emissions from sectors including oil and natural gas at the instruction of Gov. Jared Polis.

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The commitment follows a review of air quality data from 2018-2020 which showed that despite a downward trend in ozone concentrations, the Denver Metropolitan/North Front Range (DMNFR) area remains a trouble spot for ground-level ozone, the main component of smog.

The area is likely to receive a status downgrade under the ground-level ozone standards outlined in the Clean Air Act (CAA), Polis said in a Dec. 15 letter to the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC).

The DMNFR area currently is in serious nonattainment status for the 75 parts per billion (ppb) standard, with an attainment date scheduled by...