BLOG: Suncor got sanctioned; now, let’s put it in perspective

Most people probably realize oil refineries are necessary. Without them, we wouldn’t have gasoline for our cars. We also wouldn’t have asphalt for roads to drive our cars on.

Of course, nobody really wants a refinery right next door, either. Especially not when it has violated pollution rules many times over the years, as has the Suncor refinery in Commerce City.

Last week, the state health department announced it had settled a suit against Suncor over air-pollution emissions that were above allowable levels at various points from 2019 to 2021. The settlement includes $10.5 million in fines against Suncor and mandated improvements in air-pollution controls at the refinery.

As The Denver Gazette reported:

The settlement is the largest in Colorado history for air pollution violations. …Suncor will be required to double its fenceline air quality monitoring system and improve its operations to prevent excessive emissions of sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, (and) hydrogen sulfide …

As the news report also notes: 

Suncor said it is committed to improving performance and meeting regulatory requirements and said it achieved a 26% reduction in total hours of pollution exceedances in 2023 over 2022.

It’s all good news, especially for nearby homes and businesses.

Now that the refinery is on the right track — we hope — it’s worth putting the longtime controversy in perspective.

Some seek to shut down the refinery rather than clean it up. They won’t be happy with this settlement or any other, even with all the required improvements. They are pushing their political agenda about climate change by taking advantage of residents’ legitimate concerns about their health. Those health concerns are getting addressed, at last, by the state. That’s encouraging.

Let’s remember residents also have concerns about the need to protect jobs and our local economy.

Suncor’s Commerce City refinery has been in operation since 1931. It is Colorado’s only major petroleum refinery of gasoline and diesel fuel and the state’s main producer of asphalt. That’s according to City Hall’s webpage on pollution issues at the refinery.

Suncor states on its own website it brings Colorado a total of $2.5 billion a year in estimated economic value. It supports 5,000 direct and indirect jobs with a total payroll of $250 million. And it yields a total of $40 million a year in tax revenue to state and local governments, which includes Commerce City’s. So, that’s more money for services and public improvements.

Let’s hope state regulators stay on the job and continue to keep an eye on the refinery so it doesn’t cross the line. Commerce City deserves cleaner air. But it also seems that cleaning up the refinery is a lot better for Commerce City than closing it.