COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — A Commerce City neighborhood located across from a gasoline storage facility is fighting back against the company's plans to expand.
"That’s the first thing you look at. Every morning, every night, and it’s not a good feeling," said Mary Morris, whose home backs up to the tanks.
The tanks belong to Magellan Pipeline Company, and more of them could be on the way. Magellan said it needs to expand its Dupont Terminal by adding five more storage tanks in addition to the 20 already on site.
The tanks would hold more reformulated gasoline, a special blend required on the Front Range at certain times of the year.
“This was done without the awareness of the community, without collaboration of the community,” said Guadalupe Solis, director of environmental justice programs at Cultivando.
Cultivando, a group focused on concerns affecting Latinos in Adams County, is now leading the charge to protect the neighborhood, which is also less than five miles from Suncor's refinery, from more pollutants.
"We see this as an environmental justice issue and as an environmental racism issue," said Solis.
The group monitored air quality around the tanks and said it found carcinogens at levels higher than federal limits.
"Overall higher levels of benzene were found near the Magellan Pipeline Company and specifically DuPont Elementary," said Solis.
Denver7 reached out to Colorado's Air Pollution Control Division. A spokesperson said they to accept public comment for 60 days rather than the required 30 in response to community feedback on this project.
The spokesperson also added, "When reviewing air permits, the scope of our authority is defined in law – we must approve permits that comply with the law."
Legal or not, signs staked in yards surrounding the facility share a unified message against the proposed expansion.
"They're not good for anybody, more or less the little kids," said Morris.
People like Mary hope the decision is made with her neighborhood's health as a priority.
There is a community meeting about the project on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Adams City High School.
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