A Suncor oil refinery near Denver, Colorado, spewed hundreds of pounds of toxic gases into the air after an electrical failure there, according to reports. At least 100 pounds of hydrogen sulfide and 500 pounds of sulfur dioxide gas spilled into the atmosphere, The Denver Postreported.
Up to 1,120 parts per million of carbon monoxide gas also escaped the refinery, state health officials told the Post.
“Xcel Energy’s failure to provide the refinery with a continuous power feed caused a temporary inability of Suncor to comply with certain of its permit limits,” Lisha Burnett, Suncor spokeswoman, told the Post. “The loss of power was completely outside of Suncor’s control, and Suncor took a number of measures to minimize the impacts and reduce emissions caused by the loss of power.”
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This is the second time in five months the specific refinery has belched insalubrious gases into the air over the front range. In October 2016, more than 75,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide was released after an Xcel Energy power outage, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) said.
Sulfur dioxide is dangerous to humans and the environment, according to scientists. The gas is colorless, but has a particular odor, similar to the smell of a match just ignited, according United States Geological Survey. The toxic gas can affect the human body by causing eye and skin irritation as well as respiratory complications. Sever exposure, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said, can cause an individual to stop breathing. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) adds that sulfur dioxide can decrease the growth of trees and plants.
Like sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide is colorless, but its noted stand-out is that the gas reeks of rotten eggs. Prolonged exposure of hydrogen sulfide can cause coughing, headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and weight loss.
Colorado House Representative Joe Salazar, a Democrat who represents a community just north of the refinery, told Indian Country Media Network on March 20 that he’s “disgusted” with the habit of toxic releases at this refinery.
“I’m disgusted and disappointed that we have a continuing problem with an oil refinery in the heart of the Denver metro area spewing noxious and toxic gases,” Salazar said.
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Salazar said he’s slated to meet with the CDPHE “to learn what it is doing to hold this chronic polluter responsible and what’s being done to protect our communities.”
Streets surround the refinery were shut down on March 18 as Suncor sent air-monitoring trucks into nearby communities. No toxic chemicals were found, the company said.
