Vapor release from Suncor refinery in Commerce City triggers alarm Tuesday
A release of an unknown vapor during maintenance of equipment at the Suncor Energy Commerce City refinery triggered the sounding of a plant-wide alarm Tuesday, according to a warning notice sent to area residents.
Response by Suncor operations personnel was also triggered as part of Suncor’s emergency response protocols. All personnel were accounted for and no injuries were reported.
“We are taking this situation seriously. Suncor’s top priority is ensuring the health and safety of people in our workplace and in the communities where we operate,” Spokesperson Loa Esquilin Garcia said in a statement to The Denver Gazette.
A section of Brighton Boulevard near the plant was temporarily closed as a precaution during the response but has been reopened.
Normal operations resumed Tuesday afternoon.
Neither the Suncor fence line air monitoring system nor the Commerce City North Denver air monitors detected any harmful levels of airborne chemicals, according to Suncor.
Suncor officials did not respond to a request to identify the vapor before press time.
“No one in our community is surprised. We get alerts like this all of the time,” said Olga Gonzalez, Executive Director of Cultivando, a grassroots, community driven Latinx non-profit organization dedicated to advancing health equity. “They are a constant reminder that we are being exposed to harmful chemicals on a regular basis.”
Suncor officials said all required response and regulatory agencies, including the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, have been notified.
Suncor experienced a similar vapor release Feb. 17. No harmful releases were reported in that case either.
Cultivando will be holding a press conference on the organization’s completion of a year-long air monitoring project centered around the Suncor Refinery on from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. March 15, at the University of Denver, Community Commons Grand Forum, 2055 E. Evans Ave.
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