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SSUE 48 16 ISSUE

WEEK, OF APRIL 20, 2023 TUESDAY NOVEMBER 24, 2020

New COVID-19 restrictions will prohibitright indoortodining, gatherings Native American students’ wearpersonalSuncor

released sulfur dioxide spikes, state says

regalia at graduation in Colorado bill

Commerce City refinery had equipment failure BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUN

Native American students stand during Cherry Creek School District’s indigenous graduation ceremony.

Danielson co-sponsors bill

fight to make districts aware of the importance of traditional clothing. Or students running lack of A long line of cars outside the city of Brighton’s rapid testinginto sitea at BY JASON GONZALES understanding might choose to skip Riverdale Regional Park. The site has had to close early many days in recent CHALKBEAT graduation ceremonies altogether. weeks due to high demand. Adams County’s 14-day testwould positivity rateK-12 Senate Bill 202 ensure Colorado wouldas guarantee colleges, and universities was 15.9 percent, of Nov. 17,the accordingschools, to Tri-County Health Department. right of Native American students create rates policies to protect Native Brighton and Commerce City’s test positivity were both higher than to wear items such as eagle feathAmerican students so they don’t run 13 percent. Forty-five people in Brighton and 29 in Commerce City have ers and other traditional clothing at into issues. died from COVID-19 related health To limit the spread ofaCOVID-19, graduation ceremonies through a issues.Sen. Jessie Danielson, Wheat bill under thistoyear. Ridge Democrat and co-sponsor of at least 15 consideration counties moved tighter restrictions that prohibits indoor and Federal gatherings. law protects Native Ameri- the bill, said she’s heard of school personal can religious and cultural rights. officials telling students they have But students sometimes run into to hide, remove, or even throw away issues or find flat-out prohibition at regalia because of policies that schools when it comes to wearing maintain uniformity graduations. Photo byatBelen Ward regalia at ceremonies, advocates She said some students have even say. They say families must then reported school officials touched or

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COURTESY OF CHERRY CREEK SCHOOL DISTRICT

confiscated students’ eagle feathers, a cultural and religious symbol. By Ellis Arnold “This bill clarifies for the school that youColorado do notCommunity interfere Media with this,” Danielson said. “You cannot harass As Denver metro these students andcounties preventcontinue them to inch closer to local stay-at-home from wearing their traditionalorders regalia.” under Colorado’s system of coronavirusSchools asking Native related restrictions, the stateAmeriannounced can students to remove or throw aaway new items level ofisrules that prohibits indoor like a school asking dining and personal gatherings — a a student to get rid of a Jewish or change thatsymbol, applies tosaid the Melvin majorityBaker, of the Christian Southern Ute Tribal Council chairDenver metro area and many counties in man, during a mid-April hearing. other regions. He added that the United States state’s COVID-19 which has hasThe a history of trying dial, to erase Native been in effect since September, is the set of different levelsSEEofBILL, restrictions that each P3

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•27J Schools moves • Vestas to lay off 200 online-only Dec. 1 • Shaking it up with nonemployees alcholic drinks • Page 9

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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 airispurifi er. to follow based on the county required “Th e short exposures to sulfur severity of a county’s local virus spread. dioxide that occurred earlier could The dial grew out of the state’s safer-athave exacerbated asthma and home order — the policy that came after made breathing difficult, especially the statewide stay-at-home orderactivthis during exercise or physical ity,” the said. spring andhealth alloweddepartment numerous types of The state release said that early businesses to reopen. Wednesday, “the Suncor facility reThe state recently switched to color ported that #2 Sulfur Recovery Unit identifiers — levels blue, yellow and and associated Tail Gas Unit in orange than numbered — to Plant rather 1 briefl y tripped offllevels ine due to a level indicator issue, resulting avoid confusion. Until Nov. 17, level red in: excess sulfur dioxide fromlevel the meant a stay-at-home order. Now, Tail Gas Unit Incinerator (H-25); red — “severe risk” is thewith secondflaring of acid gas—(gas SEE SUNCOR, P3

Please see RESTRICTIONS, Page 2