4 Denver Herald
November 25, 2021
SUNCOR FROM PAGE 1
EPA standard of 70 parts per trillion in drinking water, said Becca Curry, Colorado policy advocate for Earthjustice. “I’ve asked my colleagues around the nation for any other refinery that has a PFAS limit put into the permit, and I can’t find one,” Curry said. PFAS readings in Suncor discharge water have risen well above 1,000 parts per trillion, state officials said. Water quality officials detailing the proposed requirements in the permit said they have listened to neighbors living near Suncor and to advocates demanding more accountability for the refinery, which has logged numerous air and water violations for decades. “We feel it is a more protective permit than exists today. And we’re very proud of that,” said Nicole Rowan, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s state water quality director. A Suncor spokeswoman said Nov. 16, “We will take time to review the details in the draft water permit and follow the established permit renewal process.” Now that the draft permit renewal is released to the public, the state extended the usual comment period. After that closes, state staff must then research and respond to the comments. The water quality division is likely to issue a final permit a few
The Suncor refinery in Commerce City is pictured on Sand Creek near where it meets the South Platte River. Both streams have PHOTO BY ANDY COLWELL/SPECIAL TO THE COLORADO SUN highly challenged water quality, though many conservationists argue they can get still better.
months into 2022. Permits last for five years, but are often extended after expiring because state staff has been limited for the most complex permits. Suncor’s air pollution permits are also under review by the health de-
partment’s Air Quality Control Division, which has not yet released its responses to public comments. In the new water discharge permit, the state said it is looking for the following changes at Suncor: • More intensive monitoring of
benzene-tainted groundwater at the site. A clay barrier is supposed to keep the hazardous material from Sand Creek, which runs past the refinery and quickly empties into SEE SUNCOR, P5
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