For generations, Indigenous communities have honored rivers as living relatives. Restoring the South Platte means restoring our relationships with the land, water, and each other.
The oil and gas industry has been harming our communities for far too long, putting profit over the health and safety of neighborhoods in North Denver/Commerce City who are already among the most polluted in the nation. Over the past few years, records show Suncor Oil Refinery has been releasing an extraordinary amount of toxic PFAs “forever chemicals”, benzene, and other toxins into the Sand Creek and South Platte River, contaminating Coloradans drinking water.
We must keep advocating for stronger protection measures, additional PFAs regulation, accountability, and community-led efforts to help heal the River. The River Sisters Congreso, a coalition of Indigenous and Chicano/Mexicano land and water protectors, is reimagining the South Platte through cultural restoration, land stewardship, and traditional ecological knowledge rooted in Indigenous stewardship and environmental justice. We stand in solidarity with the River Sisters’ efforts for river restoration and cultural recognition.
Within 1 mile of the South Platte River & it’s tributaries, we’ve seen 1,199 reported oil spills in the last 10 years which have released oil, condensate, and produced water into the soil and waterways. This isn’t just harming the water, this affects all people, the land, the air, our futures, and future generations.
As the South Platte flows through northeast Colorado, high risk environmental justice communities are greatly impacted by multiple billion dollar industries including the oil and gas industry. Black, Indigenous, Latine, low-income, and other communities of color are disproportionately impacted by oil and gas operations while already facing systemic barriers and impacts of colonization. This is environmental injustice, and it’s deeply rooted in the same extractive systems built to oppress marginalized communities.
We’re coming together to advocate for respect, mutual care, and a deeper connection to the water. Join us for a family friendly, South Platte River Cleanup next Sunday, October 26th from 10am-12pm! Bring your family and friends for a beautiful day in honor of the River.
🌊 Date: Sunday, October 26th
🕕 Time: 10:00am-12:00pm
📍 Location: Shoemaker Plaza (between REI & the River)
