STANDARD BLADE B R I G H T O N
SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1903
75cI $2.00
VOLUME 120
Issue 16
WEEK OF APRIL 20, 2023
Thousands of trout added to Mann-Nyholt Lake
Suncor released sulfur dioxide spikes, state says Commerce City refinery had equipment failure BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUN
Chris Valesey checks pH levels and water temperature before stocking the lake.
PHOTO BY BELEN WARD
BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Chris Valesey drove his large truck up to the edge of Mann-Nyholt Lake, extended a giant funnel, and released 2,400 rainbow trout. The habitat technician with a Colorado Parks and Wildlife hatchery stocked the 67-acre lake in Brighton’s Riverdale Regional Park for anglers and prey. The temperature was just right on April 13. Valesey performs tests of the water before he released the fish. “I needed to figure out the temperature to see if its within limits that could be too high in either direction to stock the fish,” Valesey said. “If the water temperature reaches 70 degrees, we can’t stock the fish.” Valesey said it takes 10 minutes for The rainbow trout were released in Mann-Nyholt Lake at Riverdale Regional Park.
SEE TROUT, P3
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The Suncor refinery in Commerce City sent potentially dangerous spikes of sulfur dioxide into the surrounding neighborhood early April 12 after an equipment failure, though the state health department’s notice didn’t go out until that evening. Sulfur dioxide detected from Suncor leapt to 155 parts per billion and 186 parts per billion, while the EPA’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards are 75 parts per billion. But to reach an official exceedance, the sulfur dioxide levels must be that high for over an hour. Within hours, a state news release said, the levels had “dropped significantly.” Despite the drop in the monitored sulfur dioxide levels, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment urged families in the future to limit outdoor exercise, keep windows closed and consider an air purifier. “The short exposures to sulfur dioxide that occurred earlier could have exacerbated asthma and made breathing difficult, especially during exercise or physical activity,” the health department said. The state release said that early Wednesday, “the Suncor facility reported that #2 Sulfur Recovery Unit and associated Tail Gas Unit in Plant 1 briefly tripped offline due to a level indicator issue, resulting in: excess sulfur dioxide from the Tail Gas Unit Incinerator (H-25); flaring of acid gas (gas with SEE SUNCOR, P3
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