Colorado is restricting the amount of "forever chemicals," or PFAS, Suncor Energy can discharge into Sand Creek.
The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment issued the refinery a new permit with stronger water quality requirements than in the past, including limits on PFAS pollution.
It's the first time state regulators have put limits on PFAS pollution.
Get top headlines and KUNC reporting directly to your mailbox each week when you subscribe to In The NoCo.
The Colorado Sun reporter Michael Booth joined KUNC Morning Edition Host Michael Lyle, Jr. to discuss what the new Suncor permit entails.
"It's about the water pollution that (Suncor) has discharged into Sand Creek and then into the South Platte River for years and years and years," said Booth. "They also have a lot of materials there for things like firefighting that contain PFAS, or 'forever chemicals.' So, when it rains or snows, or when there's other water discharge going on, that all runs off. So the state has now issued a final permit for what can be in that water that Suncor discharges."
Booth said there was a mixed reaction among residents who live near the refinery regarding the new regulations the state has imposed on Suncor.
"Some are happy, but some are very unhappy," said Booth. "They're unhappy that the state is giving Suncor up to three years to build the machinery and the treatment facilities and creating the process for treating some (of) the PFAS. They're saying that's more years of pollution going into Sand Creek, into their neighborhoods, that water agencies will have to treat again so it becomes a higher standard for people to be able to drink it."
Booth added Suncor has not said much about the state's decision but has invested in materials and air and water pollution monitoring systems to keep "forever chemicals" from becoming a longer-term issue.
