Officers at Suncor responded to a “small leak” on the Commerce Metropolis refinery Tuesday and an incident notification was launched.
“Refinery personnel are responding to an incident,” Suncor stated in a notification, at about 5:05 p.m., which alerted group members and was posted on the corporate’s web site. “Whereas you could have heard an alarm or might even see smoke, no rapid motion is required.”
The corporate stated that “the leak has been contained.” Refinery alarms had been posted as a part of a response plan, all staff have been accounted for and no accidents reported.
Suncor additionally reported the leak to regulatory businesses, together with the Colorado Division of Public Well being & Surroundings (CDPHE), the refinery operators stated.
“Information gathered from the Commerce Metropolis North Denver (CCND) Air Screens has not indicated trigger for any acute public well being issues,” Suncor stated in an replace on its web site. A fence-line monitoring system signifies “beneath detection ranges for all compounds measured.”
The corporate stated it’s taking the Tuesday incident “critically” because it strives to make sure security for the general public and its staff.
In December, Suncor polluted Sand Creek with extreme ranges of benzene, a chemical naturally present in crude oil and gasoline that may trigger blood illnesses, most cancers and menstrual irregularities by way of long-term publicity. The refinery has been shut down since a collection of malfunctions and fires throughout a late-December chilly snap.
Pollution that entered Sand Creek by way of the refinery’s stormwater system in December had been 40% to 80% above permitted allowances, in keeping with a letter despatched by Suncor to the CDPHE’s Water High quality Safety Part.
Two staff had been injured in a Dec. 24 fireplace on the plant, although no accidents had been reported after a Dec. 27 fireplace.
After the Dec. 24 fireplace, Suncor officers shut down refinery operations to restore tools broken through the deep freeze and to carry out upkeep throughout the power. The corporate plans to deliver the positioning again on-line progressively with the objective of being absolutely operational by the tip of March.
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