HARRISBURG, Penn. - The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has reversed its rule that gasoline stations must have vapor recovery systems, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The state announced the decision this week, saying that because modern vehicles come with their own systems for capturing emissions, gasoline pumps don€™t need one as well.

The announcement came after a May directive from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluded the systems were superfluous. States that include Stage II vapor-recovery system requirements had permission to start phasing out the mandate immediately. Several states have already relaxed their requirements to put in the systems.

"These so-called Stage II vapor-recovery systems must still be operated and maintained at existing facilities until further notice," said DEP Secretary Mike Krancer in a statement. "We will, however, use our discretion to not enforce these requirements for any new gas station in the greater Pittsburgh and Philadelphia areas because the diminishing benefits do not justify the cost of installing new systems."

The EPA required Stage II vapor-recovery equipment on gasoline pumps for nearly two decades. Today, around 70% of all vehicles come with vapor-recovery systems, which carmakers started adding in 1998.