Major environmental cleanup effort underway at UPS crash site
One week after the fatal UPS cargo plane crash in Louisville, a major environmental remediation effort is underway in Kentucky to minimize the effect of hundreds of thousands of gallons of fuel, oil and other chemicals involved in the incident.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said last weekend that although recovery efforts continue, authorities believe the total number of fatalities from the crash is 14, including the three pilots.
Attention is now shifting to the immense environmental cleanup facing local and federal authorities and Sandy Springs-based UPS in the area — as well as the effects the crash is having on residents and businesses.
In a statement, UPS told the AJC the cleanup is “well underway” with oversight from the Environmental Protection Agency, the local sewer district and other agencies.
“UPS has engaged environmental remediation professionals and consultants to work alongside these agencies. We defer to the agencies in charge of the cleanup for any additional comment.”
The company has already faced at least one lawsuit, filed earlier this week by several local plaintiffs who allege they experienced toxic fumes and soot and saw their businesses destroyed and contaminated.
In a statement, UPS spokesman Glenn Zaccara said the company does not comment on pending litigation. “Our heartfelt thoughts are with everyone involved. The NTSB is leading the investigation, which we are actively participating in.”
An advisory remains in place warning residents to avoid all contact with waterways in the southern part of Jefferson County because of potential contamination.
UPS flight 2976 was loaded with about 38,000 gallons of jet fuel — albeit no hazardous cargo — as it tried to take off for Hawaii on the evening of Nov. 4.
The plane and its three pilots crashed almost immediately into an industrial neighborhood near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, hitting an auto parts business and an oil recycling business.
The incident, which is UPS’ third fatal crash in 15 years, started a fire that grew to the size of a city block.
Kentucky Petroleum Recycling, the EPA said, had about 226,000 gallons of used motor oil and 37,000 gallons of oil-water-antifreeze mix on-site at the time.
“In some places where the crash occurred, oil was two, three or more feet deep at the time,” Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg told reporters Monday.
“UPS has brought in a contractor to work with the EPA, work with (Louisville & Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District) to make sure that the entire site is cleaned up. But even before they got onto the scene, MSD was there,” he said of the local agency.
On Monday the EPA said crews had recovered more than 286,000 gallons of oil-water mix from the area.
“Notably, oil was originally present in about a 4.5-mile stretch, and this has been reduced to a sheen in about three miles with pooled oil present in the first half-mile closest to the incident site,” the agency said.
“We’re working diligently. It’s going to be a long, drawn out effort,” Jody Meiman, executive director of Louisville Metro Emergency Services, said Monday.
Emergency response authorities are working to narrow the containment site to open access to businesses still blocked off, he said.
Greenberg said the city has set up a hotline and resource center for businesses being affected.
MSD executive director Tony Parrott told reporters his agency responded within 90 minutes of the crash to begin monitoring nearby waterways and implementing temporary mitigation efforts, like floating booms, to catch oil spills.
It prevented 30,000 gallons of oil from spilling into waterways on its own, Greenberg said.
UPS’ contractor was on-site the morning after the crash, emergency management authorities confirmed.
The EPA said the contractor has installed containment booms along drainage systems and set up decontamination stations to clean response vehicles that are traveling through oil-affected areas.
Parrott said they have received reports from farther downstream of alleged fish kills, but their immediate focus remains within about 4.5 miles.
There is, however, no effect to drinking water in those areas, he said, unless customers have been contacted by local water authorities.
National Transportation Safety Board staff also remain on-site investigating the cause of the crash, Greenberg said.
A preliminary report is expected about 30 days after the incident.
UPS and FedEx have grounded their entire MD-11 fleets after a precautionary recommendation from Boeing, the aircraft’s manufacturer.
About the Author
As a business reporter, Emma Hurt leads coverage of the Atlanta airport, Delta Air Lines, UPS, Norfolk Southern and other travel and logistics companies. Prior to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution she worked as an editor and Atlanta reporter for Axios, a politics reporter for WABE News and a business reporter for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
