A UPS cargo plane slammed into ILMA member GFL Environmental’s Kentucky Petroleum Recycling facility Tuesday evening after the plane exploded on the runway of the Louisville Airport during takeoff.

The crash caused a massive fire stretching about half a mile from the airport, according to local news reports. Twelve deaths had been reported as of Thursday morning, with more expected. 

A manager at GFL Environmental’s Louisville office told the Lexington Herald Leader that all of the company’s employees were accounted for.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic event in Louisville,” said ILMA CEO Holly Alfano. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected, especially the employees and families connected to GFL Environmental and Kentucky Petroleum Recycling.”

Kentucky Petroleum Recycling sits at the southern edge of the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, due south of UPS Worldport’s freight facility, according to the Louisville Courier Journal. It has been operating at the site since 1981.

GFL Environmental has been an ILMA member since 1996. The company changed its name from Terrapure Environmental in 2022. It acquired Kentucky Petroleum Recycling in August 2023.

Headquartered in Vaughan, Ontario, GFL lists a range of lubricant products, base oils and packaging services in its ILMA member directory profile.