Alarms Sound At Suncor Refinery After Vapor Release
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (CBS4) - Alarms sounded at the Suncor Refinery in Commerce City on Tuesday. The company said the alarms went off in response to a vapor release within the refinery.
Suncor said air monitoring systems did not detect any abnormal readings. The company continues to monitor equipment.
A portion of Brighton Boulevard was closed as a precaution but was reopened a short time later.
Suncor has reported numerous malfunctions in the past year, including an incident last summer that resulted in exceedances for opacity, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen sulfide, among other pollutants.
The energy company is in the middle of a review process with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment which could renew its operating license.
The public comment on Suncor's renewal process opened on Wednesday. It will last 30 days.
There was another one in December 2019 when a clay-like substance rained down on neighboring communities. In March of last year, another malfunction produced large clouds of yellow smoke.
Less than two weeks before that incident, CDPHE announced a $9 million settlement agreement with the company to resolve more than 100 pollution violations. Of the total, which CDPHE called "historic," $4 million would go to penalties and community projects, and $5 million would be allocated for Suncor to hire a third-party company to investigate why it's facility continues to have problems, and implement recommendations from that investigation.
On Wednesday, Wild Earth Guardians filed a lawsuit against Colorado regulators for what the group calls a years-long delay in reviewing and updating air pollution permits for Suncor.
