Notifications

Stay informed about Suncor’s Commerce City refining operations.

Aerial view of the Commerce City Refinery in Colorado.

Suncor has three categories of notifications to help keep the public informed about refinery activities and events.

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Tier 1: Emergency alerts

Tier 1 notifications are issued for urgent situations that may pose a threat to life or property. These alerts are sent through the national emergency alert system and local emergency agencies.

  • Alerts are automatically delivered to all mobile devices in the affected area—no sign-up is required.
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Tier 2: Non-emergency notifications

Tier 2 notifications provide updates about non-emergency events that those nearby may see, hear or smell outside of normal operations.

Examples include smoke, fire training, certain maintenance activities, road closures, significant flaring or offsite spills.

  • Those interested in receiving notifications can sign up to receive text, email or phone alerts in English or Spanish.
  • A permit deviation may not necessarily require a Tier 2 notification.
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Tier 3: Monthly reportable event summary

Tier 3 events are excess emissions or other incidents that are reportable to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Suncor publishes a monthly reportable event summary with permit deviations and event details.

Sign-up for Tier 2 notifications

 

Regulatory reporting

In the event of a permit deviation, Suncor notifies the appropriate regulatory agencies. A report of a permit deviation does not necessarily mean noncompliance with permit requirements. Specific reporting requirements depend on the type of deviation.

  • Suncor notifies CDPHE and, in some cases the EPA, of any regulatory permit deviation.
  • All permit deviations are included in Suncor’s Tier 3 monthly reportable event summary.

Certain substances have defined reportable quantities that must be met before reporting is required.

  • If a release meets the criteria of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), Suncor reports it to the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC).
  • If a release meets the reporting requirements of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), Suncor reports to the LEPC, SERC and National Response Center (NRC).

Additional information

Suncor conducts comprehensive air monitoring, including:

  • Continuous emissions monitoring at the equipment sources
  • Ambient air monitoring around the site’s fenceline
  • Ambient air monitoring in six Commerce City neighborhoods

Suncor’s fenceline and community air monitoring programs are administered by independent third-party contractors who validate the data. All monitoring data is publicly available.

For more information, visit the Safety and environment information section of the website.

For questions about notifications or reporting processes, please contact [email protected].