Colorado’s air pollution control agency took the unusual step this month of extending the public hearing period for a permit that would allow a pipeline company to expand its gasoline storage facility across from an elementary school in a neighborhood north of Denver.

The extension came amid criticism that regulators at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and executives at Magellan Pipeline Company failed to inform the public about plans to expand gasoline storage facilities at the Dupont Terminal at 8160 Krameria St. in unincorporated Adams County.

The expansion would further increase the amount of toxins released into the air in a community that already suffers disproportionately from pollution compared to the rest of the state.

The public comment period on Magellan’s Dupont Terminal expansion has been extended by 30 days to September 16, giving citizens another month to challenge the state Department of Air Pollution Control’s preliminary approval of the project.

The extension comes after the Denver Post reported in July that community members were upset because they were unaware of the planned expansion near an elementary school and in the middle of a residential neighborhood.

In addition to the extended public hearing period, the state also plans to hold a town hall meeting on the project, although no date or location has been set, said Michael Ogletree, director of the Air Pollution Control Division. The date, location and format of the meeting have yet to be determined.

“We want to be considerate of the people in the community,” Ogletree said. “It’s important for us to have those communities at the table.”

Ogletree has invited people concerned about the project to speak during the public comment period at the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission’s monthly meeting on Thursday. People can register for the public comment period online at tinyurl.com/46se6tvy.

However, the Commission is not involved in the approval process of the permit and the project is not on the Commission’s monthly agenda.

Jeremy Nichols, senior attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, said the extension of the public comment period was unusual but necessary.

“It was welcome news,” Nichols said. “They did it quietly. It just showed up on the website and they didn’t really announce it. It’s unusual, but given the circumstances, it seems really appropriate.”

Magellan plans to add five more storage tanks at its Dupont terminal, which is across the street from Dupont Elementary School. Twenty storage tanks are already on site, where the company stores fuel that is shipped to Colorado via pipeline.

Magellan explains that the company needs to expand its terminal to store reformulated gasoline, a special blend required in the Front Range from June to September to reduce ozone pollution.

In its application for the expansion, Magellan said the additional five tanks would release up to 16.5 tons of volatile organic compounds per year, which combine with nitrogen oxides on hot summer days to create a smog that envelops the region.

The tanks would also release benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene – all chemicals that cause various health problems in humans, such as difficulty breathing and irritation and inflammation of the eyes and nose.

The preliminary approval has already been received by the state air pollution control department.

Ogletree said the application meets all the rules and regulations required under state and federal law. The public comment period gives environmental groups and concerned citizens a chance to point out errors or challenge cases where they believe the law has not been properly applied.

Since the building permit has already been granted provisionally, it will be difficult to stop the project, Nichols said.

“When we see a draft permit, it’s a warning sign that things are moving forward,” he said. “It’s really hard to change that.”