Chemical Tank Explosion in Toledo Forces Evacuations, Fears of Another Blast
Nearly 1,000 people were evacuated and thousands more ordered to shelter in place as officials warned a damaged chemical tank could still explode.
A chemical tank at a trucking terminal in Toledo, Ohio, released a cloud of hazardous gas Tuesday night, forcing hundreds of people from their homes and putting thousands more under shelter-in-place orders.
The incident began about 9:30 p.m. at the MC Tank Transport terminal on Progress Avenue. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency said the chemical, glycidyl methacrylate, was released because of “an error that occurred when the material was being transferred.”
The tank held 5,500 gallons. The chemical is stored as a liquid but escapes as a gas, officials said.
Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said the city could not rule out another explosion. “There is still concern that the tank is emitting this chemical and it has potential within 12 hours of the incident to be explosive,” he said at a Wednesday morning news conference. City spokesperson Rachel Hart later told USA TODAY that no explosion had occurred. The discrepancy was not explained.
Firefighters first ordered about 300 people within a half-mile radius to leave Tuesday night, then widened the zone. About 983 residents within a mile of the terminal were evacuated. Everyone within three miles — an area reaching across the state line into Michigan — was told to shelter in place, keep windows and doors closed, and turn off ventilation that pulls in outside air.
A Lucas County sheriff’s deputy was hurt responding to the blast and drove himself to a hospital. ProMedica said about 30 people came to Toledo-area hospitals with symptoms “potentially related to the chemical leak” by early Wednesday afternoon. Most were treated and released.
Glycidyl methacrylate burns the eyes, nose, mouth, and skin on contact. Overexposure causes headache, dizziness, tiredness, nausea, and vomiting, city officials said. Health officials said so far it has mostly acted as an irritant. The U.S. EPA is monitoring the air. The city said the drinking water remains safe.
Schools closed across the area Wednesday. Toledo Public Schools and Washington Local Schools canceled classes. In Michigan, the Bedford Public School District and Mason Consolidated Schools shut down, along with the Bedford Township Veterans Center and the Monroe County Community College Whitman Center.
Stellantis evacuated its North Toledo Jeep Assembly Complex, about a mile from the terminal, on Tuesday night. The company canceled both shifts at the plant Wednesday. The Wrangler and Gladiator SUVs are built there.
Dense fog limited visibility at the time of the release and slowed the initial emergency response, officials said.
Crews were waiting for the tank to vent before approaching it. The city said residents would not be allowed back until the site is safe. “As long as there is still material in the tank, there is a risk of explosion and crews cannot approach it,” Hart said.
