1) The Suncor Shutdown

Suncor placed the refinery in “safe mode” to perform repairs. Front Porch photo by Christie Gosch

Suncor Energy’s Commerce City oil refinery experienced severe equipment damage that forced the facility to shut down until March and that could increase gas prices and airfares in Colorado. As the only oil refinery in the state, the Suncor plant is a major fuel supplier for gas stations and for airplanes at Denver International Airport. It refines approximately 98,000 barrels of oil each day, provides about 40 percent of the gasoline used in the state, and produces nearly one-third of all jet fuel for DIA. The company employs over 500 workers in its facility. The damage was caused when extreme weather bombarded Denver with an arctic blast that kept the city frozen in sub-zero temperatures for several days. The Suncor equipment was not prepared to handle the cold temperatures, and multiple fires erupted at the refinery during this stretch. On Dec. 24, the fires forced Suncor to shut down the refinery to repair the damage, correct the problems, and upgrade the equipment.

“The inspection and repair of the damaged equipment is ongoing,” says Suncor Communications Advisor Leo Garcia in a written statement. “Based on our current assessment, we anticipate a progressive restart of the facility with a return to normal operations expected to be completed by late Q1 2023.”

The repair projects at Suncor might be noticeable for the surrounding neighborhoods in Commerce City and Northeast Denver. “Flaring continues to be needed as we prepare equipment for maintenance,” says Garcia. “While we work to repair and then re-start different areas of the refinery, there may also be noise and traffic related to our operations. We are taking precautions to ensure these disruptions are kept to a minimum.”

Suncor is hopeful that the closure will not necessitate terminating any employees or reducing its staff. “No layoffs have occurred or are planned during this period,” says Garcia. “In fact, we will likely see increased numbers of people on-site to conduct evaluations and repairs.”

In the past, the refinery has also generated criticism for its exorbitant greenhouse gas emissions. The high emission rates can contaminate the air in nearby communities, impair the health of Northeast residents, and spread pollution throughout the Front Range. The gas emissions have also recently involved Suncor with an EPA investigation into the state’s oversight. On Dec. 28, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it was investigating flawed oversight practices in which Colorado issued permits to polluters even when those companies exceed the federal limits on gas emissions. Although this is a broad investigation into how the state handles all air polluters, the EPA is also specifically focusing on how Colorado treats Suncor when issuing permits to the company or regulating emissions from the refinery.

2) Northfield HS Principal Announces Retirement

Northfield High School Principal Amy Bringedahl announced that she will be stepping down from her leadership position at the end of the 2023-2024 school year. Bringedahl began serving as the Northfield principal in 2016, just one year after the school opened and the founding principal resigned. In a letter to the Northfield High School community, Bringedahl emphasized that she enjoyed collaborating with the staff and parents while helping the school emerge as “one of the premier high schools in the state.” During her tenure, Bringedahl enabled Northfield to receive an International Baccalaureate accreditation, implement a comprehensive arts program, increase the athletic program to 24 certified sports, and grow the population to nearly 1,900 students.

The search for the next Northfield principal has already begun. The Collaborative School Committee and the Northeast Denver Innovation Zone will work together to search for the new leader. They are seeking candidates who can reinforce the strengths of Northfield, and the school plans on hiring a finalist by the middle of February. The finalist will then work as an apprentice through the next school year while Bringedahl prepares the new principal for the position and assists the transition process for the school.

3) Groundbreaking for Nature Play in City Park

Part of the restored waterway is depicted in this rendering of the new natural play area. Courtesy of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science

City officials broke ground on Jan. 24 for a four-acre, multi-sensory natural play area south of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science in City Park. The area will represent the different ecosystems found in Colorado and will include restoration of an historic waterway. The $7.9 million project is a partnership between the museum and Denver Parks and Recreation. The space was designed with input from the community and will include sculptural play elements that look like Colorado wildlife, a 20-foot tall bighorn sheep climbing structure, and native plants that are found throughout the state. The project is slated to be completed in late 2024.

Head coach John Kopperud after the East Angels varsity hockey team won the state championship game. Photo by Lisa Paterson

4) East High Hockey Coach Wins Coach of the Year

Leading the Denver East Angels hockey team to both a state and national championship in 2022,  coach John Kopperud was named  Colorado Coach of the Year. The award was granted to Kopperud by Mile High Sports because of the transformational effect he had on the young hockey team. In his seven years as coach, he turned a lackluster team into an elite program by instilling the players with determined attitudes and by injecting the program with a competitive environment.