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| Ross
Mason photo |
Under
the direction of Phoenix Fire Dept., some 90 fire and
emergency personnel rushed to the UPCO facility near
Deer Valley Road and Central
Avenue in Phoenix after a March 13 explosion and fire.
No injuries were reported. The 144 employees of the
facility were bussed to a local community
center while area residents were evacuated. Residents
were allowed to return to their homes later in the afternoon. |
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In
1999, perchlorate contamination in the soil at the Central
Avenue and Happy Valley Road UPCO site was found at
a depth of 59 feet. On March 23, 2004, Goodrich announced
a finding of perchlorate contamination ranging between
43 and 130 parts per billion in water at the facility's
test wells. Although there are no federal standards
for acceptable levels of perchlorate, California recently
adopted a 6 ppb standard.
Perchlorate is used in the manufacture of rocket propellants
and is known to negatively impact the thyroid gland
by
interfering with iodide uptake. More than 120 neighboring
families immediately to the north rely on independent
well water. Tests of 50 nearby residential wells were
non detect for perchlorate, but neighbors remain concerned
about the future of the area's soil and water.
Contact with ammonium perchlorate can irritate the skin
and eyes. Breathing the chemical can irritate the nose
and throat,
causing coughing and wheezing. And high levels can interfere
with the ability of the blood to carry oxygen, causing
headache, fatigue, dizziness and a blue color to the
skin and lips. Even higher levels can cause trouble
breathing, collapse and even death.
Ammonium perchlorate is considered a highly reactive
chemical and a dangerous explosion hazard.
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DEER
VALLEY – “Flirtin’ With Disaster.” That
phrase appeared on the front of one of the estimated 40
fire and emergency vehicles from throughout the Valley that
responded to Monday’s explosion and fire at a Goodrich
Corp/UPCO (Universal Propulsion Co.) building near Deer
Valley Road and Central Avenue.
It also
summarized the viewpoint of Jenny Boles, president of the
Happy Valley Neighborhood Alliance, who resides in a county
island neighborhood just north of the facility.
“One day there’s going to be an explosion and
fire at UPCO when conditions are dry and the wind is blowing
hard,” she explained. “When that happens, there’s
going to be nothing anyone can do to prevent the homes in
our neighborhood from being burned to the ground.”
A Sept.
11, 2002, explosion and fire at the facility caused the
evacuation of nearby residents and resulted in the company
being cited with 38 fire code violations.
After Monday’s 11:45 a.m. explosion, Boles said one
of her neighbors phoned UPCO and was told “there was
nothing to worry about.” The explosion of ammonium
perchlorate, a chemical used in the manufacture of rocket
propellants, blew the roof off the 10,000 square foot plant
building, releasing a gas cloud that was still hovering
over the area hours later. Under the direction of Phoenix
Fire Dept., some 90 fire and emergency personnel rushed
to the scene. No injuries were reported. The 144 employees
of the facility were bussed to a local community center
while area residents were evacuated. Residents were allowed
to return to their homes later in the afternoon.
“The UPCO plant site was never meant to be permanent,”
said Boles. “It needs to be moved to a remote location.
But until someone dies or the neighborhood burns, no one
is going to stand up and do the right thing.”
Despite
objections by neighbors, in 2005 the Phoenix City Council
voted in favor of Goodrich/ UPCO’s rezoning request
to allow the ejection seat manufacturer to expand its facilities
and continue to use explosives. Boles said the city council
and Mayor Phil Gordon “let us down.”
A Phoenix
attorney who represents Goodrich/UPCO disagreed with Boles’
assessment of the plant’s risks. Larry Lazurus said,
pending a full investigation and analysis, it appears the
safeguards implemented by the company worked as planned,
as evidenced by the absence of any reported injuries and
property damage to the neighborhood.
“Given
the type of materials that are used in the manufacturing
process, there’s a good probability that explosions
are going to occur from time to time,” said Lazarus.
“However, I’m confident the company has taken
the precautions necessary to minimize any potential risks
to the surrounding community.”
Chris Anderson, another area resident, said, “There’s
certainly the question of whether this plant is appropriate
for a residential area.” Anderson’s wife, Christy,
is secretary of HVNA. “However, some of the residents
fought the rezoning and lost,” he added, “so we’re
going to have to live with that decision.
“We can only hope the company has taken every step
possible to mitigate damage to the community and its residents
when something like this does happen.”
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