Polis prompts emergency response for Suncor closure in Commerce Metropolis

DENVER (KDVR) – Considerations in regards to the fallout from Suncor’s closing proceed as Colorado’s solely refinery accounts for a big portion of the native gas market.

Governor Jared Polis has taken measures to assist defend the availability chain by activating it State emergency motion planBased on an announcement from his workplace on Saturday.

The plan will assist “be sure that the state makes use of all essential instruments to supply short-term regulatory reduction to scale back the potential threat to Colorado’s gas provide chain” as a result of Suncor shutdown, Polis’ workplace stated in an announcement.

Polis “verbally licensed” the plan. It directs the Workplace of Emergency Administration to “take essential and acceptable state motion to help affected jurisdictions in response, restoration and mitigation efforts,” in response to the governor’s workplace.

“Such regulatory reduction contains, however isn’t restricted to, trucking hours, truck weight limits and pipeline transportation rules,” it stated.

What does the Suncor refinery in Colorado produce?

Suncor’s refinery in Commerce Metropolis is anticipated to stay closed for months, probably till March. The Canadian oil firm introduced the shutdown on December 24, a hearth broke out in an oil refinery two employees have been injured.

Whereas Suncor didn’t point out the incident in its shutdown assertion, it stated the refinery started shutting down later that day after excessive climate triggered gear injury.

Based on the Colorado Division of Public Well being and Surroundings, there aren’t any ongoing threats to the general public at the moment, however potential dangers to the group will likely be assessed throughout the investigation.

About 500 folks work within the processing plant. Suncor says it buys crude from the Denver-Yulesburg Basin for refining in Commerce Metropolis, promoting 95% of the product in Colorado. That features gasoline, diesel, asphalt and jet gas, together with a couple of third of the jet gas used at Denver Worldwide Airport.

Suncor accounts for 35-40% of the gasoline and diesel market, in response to the Colorado Wyoming Petroleum Entrepreneurs Affiliation.

The affiliation expects wholesale and diesel costs to risewith results coming to retail shoppers quickly.