Report On Suncor Malfunctions Doesn't Quell Calls For Refinery’s Closure

"Owners of refinery north of Denver promise better automatic shutoffs when malfunctions unleash toxic gas"

"The problem-plagued Suncor Energy oil refinery’s push to renew its operating permits, and questions about state regulatory oversight, have intensified fears of residents, business owners and elected officials that toxic pollution north of Denver won’t end.

Suncor’s unveiling this week of a long-awaited report on causes of frequent malfunctions, with promises to improve automatic shutoffs, failed to reassure opponents calling for closure of the refinery.

Mistrust of the state government and the company, ingrained through years of seeing nighttime orange flares and inhaling hydrocarbon fumes, remains high. Officials at the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment tasked with deciding on the permits couldn’t cite a case where their agency directly rejected an application for a large industrial facility."

Bruce Finley reports for the Denver Post April 17, 2021.

Source: Denver Post, 04/21/2021