A worker from Texas died in February 2023 from exposure to hydrogen sulfide at Suncor Energy’s Commerce City oil refinery, his family alleges in a new wrongful death lawsuit.
Kurtis R. Williams was sent to work at the Suncor refinery by Texas-based contractor HPC Industrial Services after a sharp deep freeze caused catastrophic damages to the plant’s refining equipment, forcing it to close for nearly three months in early 2023.
On Feb. 21, 2023, Suncor announced a vapor leak in refining equipment while the plant was shuttered, and Williams was exposed to toxic vapors, including hydrogen sulfide, while working there, according to the lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Adams County District Court.
Williams underwent a health screening for respiratory problems, but was sent back to work, the lawsuit said. Following the incident, the refinery announced an “all-clear” call for workers to return to work and no injuries were reported to the public, according to a Feb. 21, 2023, public notification by Suncor.
Williams was found dead in his hotel room on Feb. 28, 2023, by his co-workers, and toxicology results from an autopsy showed significant recent exposure to hydrogen sulfide, which was indicated by elevated thiosulfate levels, according to the lawsuit.
“Neither Suncor nor HPC initially informed the authorities that Mr. Williams had been exposed to toxins at the Subject Plant,” the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit did not specify what type of work Williams was doing nor did it specify how long Williams may have been dead in his hotel room before his colleagues found him.
Williams was wearing a monitor manufactured by Honeywell Safety Products that should have warned him that he had been exposed to dangerous levels of toxic chemicals. The lawsuit claims that the monitor failed.
Williams’ survivors, including a child, are suing Suncor, Honeywell, HPC Industrial Services and United Rentals for negligence. The lawsuit also accuses Honeywell and United Rentals of providing defective equipment, and it accuses HPC Industrial Services of gross negligence for sending its worker into a dangerous workplace without proper training.
Williams’ family is seeking an unspecified amount in financial damages.
Suncor and HPC Industrial Services knew their policies, procedures and equipment were inadequate and still instructed the work to be performed, the lawsuit stated.
The lawsuit also alleges Suncor continued to release sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide into the surrounding neighborhood after Williams died.
“Contrary to Suncor’s assessment that ‘no immediate action (was) needed by the community,’ regulators warned neighbors to take precautions,” the lawsuit said.
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Suncor Energy operates the only refinery in Colorado and the facility processes 98,000 barrels of crude oil a day.
The refinery shut down on Dec. 21, 2022, when temperatures plunged 37 degrees in one hour, causing the refinery’s hydrogen plant to malfunction and leading to a series of equipment failures throughout the plant.
During the shutdown, two workers were injured in a fire and the refinery repeatedly released hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide into the air and benzene into Sand Creek, which flows along the refinery’s northeastern border.
Hydrogen sulfide is a byproduct of crude oil refining. It smells like rotten eggs, and low exposure can irritate the eyes, nose and throat and cause breathing problems for those who already suffer from respiratory ailments such as asthma.
Exposure to high concentrations can cause people to lose consciousness and can lead to long-term effects such as headaches, poor attention span, poor memory and poor motor function, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
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