Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) Director Steve Owens has announced that Universal Propulsion Company (UPCO) will pay a $140,000 civil penalty for hazardous waste and air quality violations at the company's Propulsion Systems facility located at 25401 N. Central Ave. in Phoenix.
ADEQ issued four Notices of Violation (NOVs) to the company between 2002 and 2006 for violations concerning the hazardous waste ammonium perchlorate, a man-made inorganic salt used since the late 1940s as a component in solid rocket fuel, munitions and pyrotechnics.
In addition to paying the $140,000 civil penalty, the company also will pay $25,000 to Phoenix Children's Hospital for use in the Air Quality Flag Program, which monitors and informs students, parents, and community members about daily air quality.