Stories about similar health problems from her neighbors, along with her research in climate justice, fueled Molina to encourage her community to speak up, which came in handy when Suncor requested permission to exude additional emissions in a Title V permit renewal for Plant 2.
A Title V permit is an element of the Clean Air Act. It requires all applicable entities to record and report on all Clean Air Act requirements and prove compliance. Renewal of the permit would allow additional modes of operation to occur.
This request came despite the fact that in 2020 Suncor was charged a record-breaking $9 million dollars in penalties for air emission violations. According to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, Suncor also had 108 malfunctions in five years, and over 500 pollution spikes that exceeded legal limits.
