CHEMICALS

decades in everything from carpet to re ghting products to clothing and fast-food packaging, though manufacturers are trying to phase them out of many products and states like Colorado are banning them. States’ attorney general o ces, including Colorado, are suing manufacturers like 3M and DuPont to recover water ltration and ground cleanup costs. PFAS chemicals do not easily break down in the environment, thus the “forever” moniker, and have been found in sh, wildlife and in the bloodstream of most humans tested.

Until March, the EPA’s drinking water guideline — not a mandate to water agencies, but health guidance — had been limiting PFAS to 70 parts per trillion. en the EPA issued sharply lower levels that are now drinking water mandates that cities must achieve, setting them as low as 0.02 parts per trillion for the variant PFOS, and 0.004 ppt for PFOA.

Earthjustice had previously agged Suncor re nery releases of PFAS. One out ow measured at Suncor found November readings at 1,100 parts per trillion of PFOS in discharges, or 55,000 times the downward-revised EPA requirements.

Discharges of 54 parts per trillion of PFOA that month were 13,500 times the new EPA limits on that chemical, e high discharges remained in January, though not as elevated. e February report showed lower levels. e elevated discharges came as state clean water o cials worked to complete revisions to Suncor’s water out ow pollution permits that were rst opened to public comments nearly 18 months ago. Colorado ofcials noted at the time they had included PFAS limits for the rst time in a draft of the revised permit. e re nery recently announced $100 million in repairs to reduce its air emissions. e state’s proposed draft permit revision for Suncor rst revealed in 2022 set PFAS discharge limits at the same 70 parts per trillion that had been the EPA drinking water guideline until this year. In response to the high Suncor discharges in 2022 and early 2023, and the EPA’s March 2023 revisions, state regulators said they were reconsidering the draft permit. ey have not o ered a timetable on when those revisions will be put out for another public comment period.

Earthjustice said.

Suncor had major December res that prompted air pollution notices and a long shutdown of re ning operations, and environmental groups monitoring pollution there speculate the re ghting foam commonly used in industrial res could have contributed to more PFAS runo .

After Earthjustice called out their November and January PFAS releases, Suncor said the company’s testing away from the re nery outow did not show any higher than normal contamination downstream on Sand Creek or in the South Platte River nearby.

Suncor’s statement said a sampling study by an independent rm in May 2022 said “Suncor’s PFAS contributions are not impacting the South Platte River in any meaningful way.”

Earthjustice disputes that conclusion, saying a report from Westwater Hydrology at the “Outfall 20” in question “accounted for between 16-47% of total PFAS found in Sand Creek, and 3-18% of PFAS found in the South Platte River downstream of the facility.” is story is from e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support e Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun. com. e Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

AKINS Sandra “Sandy” (Akins) Akins

July 21, 1959 - June 30, 2023

Sandy Akins 63, passed away peacefully June 30th. Sandy was born to Joseph Akins and Mildred Northrup at Fitzsimmons. She was the fth of six siblings and never married. She lived in several states, Germany and settled in Brighton in 1972. A graduate of Campion Academy in Loveland, she worked for 30 years at Golden Bell Press in Denver. She also worked for Home Instead, Visiting Angels, Eagles Nest in Hudson and the Fort Lupton Chamber of

Commerce. Sandy’s faith was demonstrated by her volunteer work as an EMT with Platte Valley Ambulance and as a Board member of Hope at Miracle House in Fort Lupton.

Sandy is preceded in death by her parents and is survived by her sister, Karen Fernandez, brothers Randy, Keith, Bill and Brian, in addition to many of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

LANGE Kenneth Donald Lange

September 22, 1925 - June 3, 2023

Kenneth Donald Lange, 1925-2023, 97 of Tucson, AZ formerly of Hudson, CO went home to his Savior on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Kenneth was born in Siebert, CO. In 1948 he moved to Brighton with his family where he worked as a dairy farmer. In 1957 he moved his dairy farm to Hudson, CO. In March of 1958 he married Edna Zoch of Harrold, Texas. In 1972 he opened up a jewelry store, Lange’s Jewelry, in Brighton, CO until his retirement in 1992. A memorial service will be held on July 8, 2023 at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Tucson, AZ at 11:00 AM. Kenneth is survived by his wife, Edna

Lange, his sons: Mark (Juanita) Lange of Tucson, AZ and Roy (Andrea) Lange of Boise, ID and his daughter: Joan (Kent) Ford of Mineola, TX.

Six grandchildren: James, Abby, Ollie (Julia), Cody, Jacob, and Cooper. His sister, Ruby Kunkel. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, Arthur and Minna Lange, sister, Ruth Stewart and brother, Dale Lange. In lieu of owers, the family requests donations be made in Kenneth’s memory to Redeemer Lutheran Church, 8845 N. Silverbell RD, Tucson, AZ.