Suncor has no incentive not to pollute
Re: “Suncor’s refinery emits black smoke,” July 29 news story.
Denver Post readers must know by now that one of the largest polluters on the Front Range is the Suncor Energy refinery. Colorado Air Quality has been sending out notices of poor air quality on the Front Range for weeks. Here is how the Wednesday Denver Post article described the 3 incidents so far in 2026: bright orange flames, plumes of black smoke, visible smoke, excessive smoke spewing thick black and yellow plumes.
Residents along the Front Range should not expect any resolution or punishment regarding the ongoing pollution anytime soon. In the past, fines have been so ridiculously small that Suncor is not deterred from future occurrences. Their excuse is that the flames are part of a flaring process to burn off excess gases or because of starting back up after maintenance.
We can expect many more days of very poor air quality when all they get is a hand slap.
Mariann Storck, Wheat Ridge
Mothers are too often left out
Re: “Wonder why the birthrate is falling? Look how we treat mothers,” Aug. 1 commentary.
Christine Michel Carter has written the truth about being a woman, whose only asset has been for millennia – of value left unpaid. I thought these things at age 16, and that was in 1954. Nature asks us to carry, deliver and nurse the child. The notion that the entire job is ours has been dumped on us by men, so they can have a life and get paid for it. This is changing, needless to say, and I hand it to all men who realize they have an important role in childcare. But we must support it with concrete measures that work. If you want a job in the workplace, you need a system that welcomes and accommodates you. This is not a world in which staying home is going to teach you. Women need to participate in all of life, in all its aspects.
This is a complex issue and cannot be ignored!
Anne M Culver, Denver
Access to care depends on Medicare fee schedule
When was the last time you saw a doctor? How long did you have to wait for an appointment? How far did you have to drive? For many Americans, accessing local care is becoming increasingly difficult.
As a physician, I want to treat all my patients as early as possible, when their conditions are more manageable and complications are more likely to be prevented. Longer wait times and fewer care options are frustrating for doctors and patients alike.
I’m especially worried about the federal governmentap projections that show a nationwide shortage of over 110,000 doctors by 2028. Unfortunately, systemic barriers are preventing physicians from entering the field, expanding their services, treating new Medicare beneficiaries, and opening offices in rural communities.
One major barrier: chronic cuts to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, which is a cornerstone for independent physician practices to stay afloat. Since 2001, Medicare physician reimbursement has declined when adjusted for inflation. With less and less payment, itap little wonder then that we’re seeing more doctors decide to leave medicine altogether.
Congress should instead tie future reimbursement updates to the rate of inflation. This is a straightforward way to ensure stability for small and independent physician practices, and doing so will go a long way to addressing the severe physician shortage and ultimately improve Americans’ access to care.
Liudmila Kastsianok, Aurora
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