Suncor to pay $1.9 million to settle lawsuit over Colorado spill

Suncor oil refinery operators responsible for a toxic spill that contaminated Sand Creek and the South Platte River have agreed to pay $1.9 million to settle a lawsuit by federal and state authorities. A consent decree filed in U.S. District Court says the government authorities agree to drop further legal action unless the spill worsens. This settlement requires court approval after at least 30 days for public notice and comment. Colorado Attorney General John Suthers and U.S. Department of Justice attorneys filed a civil lawsuit against Suncor seeking remedies for harm caused initial by a February 2011 spill from a broken underground pipe beneath storage tanks.