Colorado fines Suncor US$10.5 million for air pollution violations

DENVER – The state of Colorado is fining Suncor Energy Inc. US$10.5 million for air pollution violations.

In a news release, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment says the fine concerning Suncor’s Commerce City refinery is for violations from July 2019 through June 2021.

The department also says the Calgary-based energy company must double the number of air-pollution monitors compared with the refinery’s original monitoring plan.

In the news release, it says it’s the largest air pollution enforcement package the state has ever levied against a single facility.

Suncor’s Commerce City refinery, which processes 98,000 barrels of crude oil per day into products like gasoline and jet fuel, is the only facility of its kind in Colorado.

In recent years, the facility has been plagued by a number of problems, including a fire in late 2022 that injured two workers, weather-related damage that forced a temporary shutdown of the facility in 2023, as well as complaints from nearby residents about odour and air pollution.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 5, 2024.

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