US EPA
Region 8
999-18th St. Suite 300
Denver, CO 80202-2466
303-312-6312
1-800-227-8917
Colorado Department
of Public Health
and Environment
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South
Denver, Colorado 80246-1530
303-692-2000
1-800-866-7689 (Within Colorado)
Community
Supplemental
Environment
Project
Suncor Dt
nr Refinery
(Formerly
Conoco)
fiegion 8
c Health
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SUNCOR SEPS
US EPA REGION 8
PAGE 27
University of Colorado at Boulder
CU Science Discovery
General Category: Environmental Education
Funding: $19,000 (CDPHE)
Location: Northeast Denver/ Commerce City
The goals of the project are to connect economically
disadvantaged and minority students to the natural world
through ongoing outdoor experiences, to instill respect for
the planet and to gain individual and community skills to
work more effectively with each other. This project will
engage fifth grade classes from North Denver public schools
in outdoor learning and environmental education. Students
will participate in day trips to Bluff Lake, Echo Lake, a local
park, an overnight trip to Highlands Camp and the high
adventure ropes course at Exempla West Pines Training
Center.
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SUNCOR SEPS
Colorado Energy Scionco Contor
General Category: Pollution Prevention/Energy Efficiency
Funding: $30,000 (CDPHE)
Location: Northeast Denver
CESC has partnered with Cross Community Coalition to
increase energy efficiency education in the schools and
perform home energy audits in the Clayton, Swansea, Elyria
and Globeville neighborhoods. Professional auditors will be
assisted by individuals and organizations in the community
to perform the audits. The home occupant will receive a
consultation with the auditor regarding ways to save energy
in their home. This will result in lower home energy costs
and lower environmental impacts resulting from the energy
consumption. Additionally, they will support energy
education in the schools in the area.
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What are Supplemental Environmental Projects?
A Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) can be
part of an enforcement settlement when there is a viola-
tion of an environmental law or regulation.
As part of the enforcement settlement, a violator volun-
tarily agrees to contribute funding to an environmentally
beneficial project in exchange for a reduction in the
monetary fine for the violation . This reduction is de-
cided on a case-by-case basis, and is equal to a percent-
age of the voluntary contribution.
The Goal of a SEP is to further the ability of the EPA
and CDPHE to protect and enhance public health and
the environment, by encouraging violators to invest in
community based projects that benefit affected environ-
ments. SEPs do not include any activities that a violator
must carry out in order to return to compliance with the
law.
SEPs can be external or internal. External SEPs are
those that focus on communities surrounding the area
affected by a violation. Internal SEPs are carried out
within the violating organization, and are typically
modifications to equipment or procedures that go above
and beyond the required level of compliance.
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SUNCOR SEPS
How did these SEPs happen?
These SEPs came into existence because of
(1) The willingness of Suncor Inc. (Formerly Conoco)
to direct a part of its monetary settlement to the pro-
jects described in this booklet.
(2) The commitment of the Region 8 and Colorado De-
partment of Public Health and Environment Air En-
forcement staffs.
(3) The efforts of the Region 8 Environmental Justice
Program. The Environmental Justice Program is
committed to providing assistance to Technical and
Legal enforcement staffs, to State partners, to com-
panies and to affected communities to implement
community-based SEPs in the settlements resulting
from enforcement actions.
If you are interested in exploring SEPs as part of your
settlements, please contact the staff of the Region 8 En-
vironmental Justice program.
Karen Kellen: kellen.karen@epa.gov (303) 312-6518
Michael Wenstrom: wenstrom.michael@epa.gov
(303)312-7009
US EPA REGION 8
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Commerce City Community Enterprise
General Category: Pollution Prevention/ Environmental Education
Funding: $25,926 (CDPHE)
Location: Commerce City
Commerce City Community Enterprise will perform
environmental education and outreach projects with the
Holly Park Youth Council, a group of youth residents, in
Holly Park apartments. Holly Park apartments are low-
income housing with approximately 300 youth. This is an
avenue to get them involved in their community while
learning valuable skills for the future. The projects that will
be carried out are: a tree-planting project, a clean hallway
project, a recycling center, community and property clean-up
days, creation of a community garden/compost project and
outreach to the community.
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SUNCOR SEPS
YouthBz
Business— Academics—Leadership
General Category: Pollution Prevention/ Environmental Education
Funding: $41,600 (CDPHE)
Location: Cole Neighborhood
YouthBiz will use the funds to initiate the "77 Alleys"
project, which recognizes the correlation between cleanliness
of alleys and larger social issues, and seeks to organize
community youth to clean up the alleys of the Cole
Neighborhood. The project is supervised by a program
manager. However, it is run completely by Northeast Denver
inner city youth. The goals of the project are to create a self-
sufficient program within two years and to provide ongoing
education to Cole residents on environmental issues
associated with recycling.
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This Settlement...
In 2000, as part of a national refinery initiative
under the Clean Air Act, EPA contacted Conoco, Inc.
regarding violations of the Act. In the spirit of coopera-
tion, Conoco agreed to seek a quick resolution of the al-
legations and settle with EPA and the four States in
which they have refineries: Colorado, Louisiana, Okla-
homa and Montana. Pursuant to these settlements,
Conoco agreed to make changes to their facilities and
pay penalties. They also agreed to perform Supplemen-
tal and Beneficial Environmental Projects in all four
states. They agreed to spend $400,000 on SEP(s) and
BEP(s) in Louisiana, $400,000 in Oklahoma,
$1,225,000 in Montana and $2,075,000 in Colorado.
The State of Colorado and Region 8 agreed to
take all of its penalty money in the form of SEPs, thus
increasing the amount of funds directed to SEPs in
Colorado. SEPs normally allow companies to put pen-
alty money back into facility operations to make up-
grades to pollution devices that go beyond requirements
of the law. In this instance Conoco, the State and EPA
agreed that approximately 25% of the SEP funds could
be placed directly with community groups working on
pollution prevention activities that directly benefit the
communities most affected by the pollution from the fa-
cility. The Colorado facility in Commerce City, Colo-
rado has since been purchased and is operated by Sun-
cor Inc. In accordance with a revised consent decree,
Suncor Inc. is now responsible for the SEPs.
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SUNCOR SEPS
Eight Steps to Creating Community-Based (SEPs)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^•^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^•i
If SEPs are a possibility in a settlement:
1. Meet with both the legal and technical enforcement staffs
handling the settlement to secure agreement on a process
and coordinate activities.
2. Meet with company staff to discuss how they would like
to proceed.
3. Reach out to community organizations to invite participa-
tion in the development of SEPs.
4. Work with the company to help in soliciting the proposals.
5. Work with regional enforcement staff, Headquarters
OEC A staff and the Department of Justice to determine
which of the projects comply with the EPA SEP Guid-
ance.
6. Make adjustments in project budgets and descriptions to
match the total amount of the SEP settlement.
7. Meet with the company periodically to assess progress on
each project and contact each community organization to
assure that progress is being made as scheduled.
8. At the end of the process, meet to determine Lessons
Learned and integrate these lessons in future processes.
(Note: The language in these steps is directed toward a fed-
eral process. However, you can easily apply these steps to a
state-level process by simply substituting equivalent state
agency references.)
US EPA REGION 8
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Northeast Denver Housing Center
Household Lead Hazard
General Category: Environmental Health and Education
Funding: $50,000 (CDPHE)
Location: Clayton Neighborhood
The SEP funds will fill the gap left by a HUD grant for lead
abatement and other lead hazard control work in homes.
This project will target homes in the Clayton Neighborhood
that are at risk but that do not qualify for the HUD grant.
This includes: pre-1940 homes of senior citizens who baby
sit young children and other pre-1940 homes with young
children not yet poisoned. Additionally, 100 homes will be
investigated and each family educated about lead. The
investigation will include a survey, a visual inspection, the
collecting of five dust or paint samples and general education
of the resident. If results are positive, families will receive a
cleaning kit and instructions on how to control lead safely.
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SUNCOR SEPS
Northeast Denver Housing Center
Asthma Outreach and Education
General Category: Environmental
Health and Education
Funding: $13,325 (CDPHE)
Location: 5 schools in
Northeast Denver
Presentations will be made to the students about asthma and
asthma triggers found in the home in middle school art
classes in Commerce City and the surrounding NE Denver
neighborhoods. NDHC will also provide information on
asthma to send home to parents and for teachers in other
classes to use as activities. After the presentation the art
teachers will ask students to make a drawing depicting
something they learned about asthma. The wining 13
pictures will be made into a calendar to be given to each
participating class and be available to schools for
fundraisers.
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List of Conoco/Suncor Community SEPs
Groundwork Denver 8
Sand Creek Regional Greenway 9
NEMPPA 10
Adams City HS Environmental Club 11
Adams School District Green City Project 12
Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education 13
Earth Force School Program 14
Breathe Better Foundation 15
Adams 14 Educational Foundation 16
Earth Force at Cole Middle School 17
Cross Community Coalition 18
University of Colorado and Cross Community Coalition 19
Regional Air Quality Council 20
Commerce City Community Health Services 21
Northeast Denver Housing Center—Asthma Outreach 22
Northeast Denver Housing Center—Lead Outreach 23
YouthBiz 24
Commerce City Community Enterprise 25
Colorado Energy Science Center 26
CU Science Discovery 27
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SUNCOR SEPS
Groundwork Denver
CHANGING LIVE
General Category: Parks
Funding Amount: $20,000 (CDPHE)
Location: Northeast Denver
Groundwork is an initiative to empower the community to
take control and redevelop brownfields and abandoned lands
in Denver in order to make them community assets. It
supports citizens being in control of the process.
Groundwork Denver serves as a catalyst, the glue and the
keeper of the vision. Communities participate in
determining Groundwork projects, including increasing open
green space, affordable housing, daycare centers and
commercial areas. Green space is always included as a
component of the project if not the major purpose.
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General Category: Environmental Health/Asthma Supplies
Funding: $16,000 (CDPHE)
Location: Adams County 14 Schools
CCCHS is a non-profit organization providing health care to
children and adolescents. They have a contract with the
Adams County School District 14 to assist schools with their
health needs. The school nurses have identified the need for
nebulizers and peak flow meters to assist the students in
managing their asthma. The funds will be used to purchase
1000 peak flow meters, which are hand held instruments that
a student blows into to measure lung capacity, and 10
nebulizers, which are machines that are used to give
breathing treatments to a student with an asthma attack when
their standard inhaler is not working.
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SUNCOR SEPS
Regional Air Quality Council
REGIONAL AIR QUALITY COUNCIL
General Category: Poll Prevention, Outreach and Awareness
Funding: $50,000 (CDPHE)
Location: Denver Metro
These funds will be used for a Fleet Outreach and Awareness
Program, which will encourage initiatives by diesel fleet
operators to reduce emissions. The program will launch a
collaborative outreach and awareness effort with private and
public fleets in the Denver region and will recognize fleet
operators that undertake voluntary programs to reduce
emissions from their fleet of diesel vehicles. This will be
accomplished through workshops, one-on-one meetings with
fleet owners, distribution of educational materials and
retrofitting projects.
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Sand Creek Regional Greenway
General Category: Parks
Funding Amount: $50,000 (CDPHE)
Location: Sand Creek Wetland Park
The Sand Creek Urban Trail is a 13-mile long trail that
passes through Commerce City, Denver, Aurora and
Stapleton Redevelopment Corporation. The trail gives urban
residents greater access to nature and wildlife via access
from several trailheads. The wetland park is a parcel of land
just over 19 acres. The funds will be used to create an
interpretive trail system, to purchase plantings for the site
and to support volunteer efforts. The proposed final use of
the site is natural open space with educational opportunities
through select access of the restored riparian habitat area.
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SUNCOR SEPS
General Category: Xeriscape - water conservation
Funding Amount: $20,000 (CDPHE)
Location: Cole, Clayton andElyria Swansea Neighborhoods
Northeast Metro Pollution Prevention Alliance (NEMPPA)
is a community partnership that promotes pollution
principles in Northeast Denver. Funds will be used to
educate community members about water conservation.
Information will be shared about xeriscaping and
demonstration yards in the area will be created. The project
will build a program that will be capable of providing further
reduction in water use beyond the life of this project.
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General Category: Environmental Health Study
Funding: $24,525 (CDPHE)
Location: Northeast Denver and Commerce City
The goal of the project "Speciation of Airborne
Carbonaceous Paniculate Matter Samples Collected During
2001 in Adams County, Colorado" is to better understand the
composition and origin of the PM present in north Denver/
Adams County. This will be accomplished by analyzing
particulate matter samples collected at regulatory sites in
North Denver/Adams County from an entire year. The
chemical composition of the samples will be determined and
then quantitatively compared.
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SUNCOR SEPS
Cross Community Coalition
General Category: Environmental Education
Funding: $50,000 (CDPHE/EPA)
Location: Northeast Denver
The funds will contribute to the "green building" elements of
the new Family Resource Center facility, which will serve
the Elyria, Globeville, Swansea and Cole neighborhoods.
The current building is underneath 170 and relocation will
facilitate an increase in children's programs. The activities
in the Center include, but are not limited to: social services
applications and certification, tax preparation for low-income
families, computer training, English as a Second Language
classes, GED classes, training in hazardous materials
removal, Youth Pollution Prevention Corps and Estoy Listo
(I am Ready) school program.
US EPA REGION 8
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General Category: Environmental Education/ Recycle
Funding: $1,000 (CDPHE)
Location: Commerce City
The Environmental Club at Adams City High School is only
three years old and is trying to start a school wide recycling
program. They see all of the waste that the school is creating
and want to do something about it. The project will provide
them money to purchase proper recycling containers to
collect cans, bottles, paper, cardboard, glass, plastic bags and
print cartridges. Additionally the funds will be used to create
fun activities to encourage students to get involved in the
club.
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SUNCOR SEPS
Adams School District Green City Project
General Category: Environmental Education
Funding: $10,000 (CDPHE)
Location: Commerce City
Students from Adams City High School and Kearney Middle
School will participate in the Green City Project. Green City
is an innovative, field-based science education which bridges
what students are learning in school to the real world. The
Green City Project's mission is to foster an understanding
and stewardship of local ecosystems by involving students
with nature in their own communities. The students will take
monthly excursions to a local natural area where they apply
lessons learned in the classroom.
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Earth Force at Cole Middle School
General Category: Environmental Education
Funding: $20,000 (CDPHE)
Location: Cole Middle School
Funds will be used to develop an Earth Force program at
Cole Middle School. Earth Force is a year-round effort to
engage youth in environmental problem solving in their
community through: an intensive summer literacy and
leadership program for incoming 6th graders and a weekly
3-hour Wednesday block of environmental service learning
for the entire 6th grade class during the school year. The
Community Action and Problem Solving (CAPS) program
will be used to provide students with skills needed to make
long term sustainable change to a local environmental issue
that the youth identify.
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SUNCOR SEPS
Adams 14 Educational Foundation
ADAMS COUNTY *
SCHOOL DISTRICT 14
General Category: Environmental Education
Funding: $10,000 (CDPHE)
Location: Commerce City
The foundation is trying to improve the science curriculum
in Adams County School District #14. The foundation
currently awards mini-grants to teachers to implement
innovative approaches to improving student achievement and
literacy. With this grant they will increase the mini-grants to
$1,000 each for Environmental Education Projects.
US EPA REGION 8
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caee
Colorado Alliance
For Environmental
Education
General Category: Environmental Education
Funding: $30,000 (CDPHE)
Location: Colorado
CAEE will coordinate the more than two hundred
organizations in the Denver Area involved in Environmental
Education in a state wide web-based database. The database
will be a "one stop shopping" for busy teachers who may be
unaware of materials which could supplement classroom
content. It will also increase the usability of these resources
by encouraging providers to link their programs to the
Colorado academic standards and also review them
according to national quality guidelines.
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SUNCOR SEPS
Earth Force School Program
General Category: Environmental Education
Funding: $20,000 (CDPHE)
Location: Northeast Denver/ Commerce City
The project will provide exemplary after-school and summer
environmental leadership programs in Commerce City and
Northeast Denver communities, working with at least 200
youth who will accomplish at least 10 environmental
projects. It will engage the students in environmental issues
where they live and give them the opportunities, skills and
support needed to participate in their solutions.
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Breathe Better Foundation
General Category: Environmental Health and Education
Funding: $16,337 (CDPHE)
Location: Commerce City School District #14
On behalf of the American Lung Association the Breathe
Better Foundation will provide the following educational
services: Breathe Better Bus, Open Airways for Schools,
Smoke-free Home Pledge Initiative, Community Education
Sessions and Lung tests. The program will be offered to
seven elementary schools in Adams County. The Open
Airways for Schools program will consist of six 40-minute
sessions to these students.
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