The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment fined Suncor $10.5 million

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environmental Protection Suncor Energy Inc. announced a $10.5 million fine against the SU-T refinery in Commerce City, Colo., in what it called the agency's largest enforcement package against a single facility for air pollution. History.

The regulatory action relates to air pollution violations that occurred between July 2019 and June 2021. Under the package, Calgary-based Suncor will invest at least $8 million in projects aimed at reducing air pollution caused by power outages. , which CDPHE said was linked to numerous violations by the company.

The enforcement package also includes $2.5 million in penalties, with approximately $1.3 million to be distributed to disproportionately affected communities through the Colorado Environmental Justice Grant Program.

Under a separate action, Suncor must double the number of air pollution monitors around the site compared to the plant's original fence line monitoring plan, the agency said.

“Today's actions demonstrate our unwavering commitment to protecting the environment and the health of our residents,” said CDPHE Executive Director Jill Hunsaker Ryan.

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Suncor's Commerce City refinery is a major player for the company and the state, processing 98,000 barrels of crude oil per day and selling 95 percent of its output domestically, according to Suncor's website. But the refinery has become a target of local groups concerned about how toxic emissions will affect the environment and the health of area residents.

CDPHE acknowledged these concerns when announcing its regulatory action.

“Communities who live and work near Suncor have suffered unfair air pollution burdens from the refinery's permit violations for too long,” said Trisha Oet, CDPHE's director of environmental and public health.

“We are committed to protecting people's health and well-being – and today's actions show we want to do that,” Ms Oet added.

Lucy Molina, a community organizer with the environmental group 350 Colorado, called the announcement “disappointing” and said the enforcement action is more concerned about Suncor's continued operations than the impact on public health.

“It's really a slap in the face and an insult to the community,” he said.

The record fine will not directly benefit communities affected by Suncor's operations, Olga Gonzalez, executive director of Colorado nonprofit Cultivando, said in an email.

“Low-income families have nosebleeds, breathing problems, asthma and cancer, and don't have the money to cover the exorbitant costs of taking their sick children to the doctor. We are in the sacrifice zone. “Our children are sacrificed for cheap gasoline, regardless of their health or the health of the environment,” Ms. Gonzalez said.

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In an emailed statement, Suncor spokesman Leighton Slade said the company is committed to continuous improvement and regulatory compliance.

The company is working on a plan to improve electricity reliability and that plan should be completed by the end of 2026, Mr. Slade said.

Suncor has voluntarily installed a temporary fence line control system that is operational on Jan. 1, 2023 and meets the requirements of the Fence Line Control Act, Mr. Slade said.

Data from this interim monitoring system show that toxic compounds in indoor air measured since the program began have remained below detection levels, he said.

The latest fence line monitoring system will be operational by the end of this year, Mr Slade said.

Fence line monitoring involves installing and operating air measurement equipment around the perimeter of the facility.

Suncor's poor performance compared to its peers, along with a series of safety incidents, made it a target of an activist US hedge fund in 2022, prompting a management shakeup and the potential sale of Suncor's chain of Petro-Canada gas stations. The company recorded five workplace deaths between December 2020 and July 2022, when then-chief executive Mark Little resigned.

In a November update, Suncor's new CEO, Rich Krueger, said the company's safety record was improving and there were no reported injuries in the third quarter — the first injury-free quarter in the company's history. In its fourth quarter, Suncor reported the second-highest oil production in its history in January.