Toledo chemical release prompts evacuations and shelter orders

A chemical release at a tank terminal in Toledo, Ohio, forced nearly 1,000 people to evacuate their homes and prompted a shelter-in-place order for residents farther away, officials said Wednesday. A responding sheriff’s deputy went to a hospital after feeling unwell.

The incident began Tuesday night at MC Tank Terminal in north Toledo. NBC News reported that an employee called 911 after an explosion at a chemical tank; officials said they did not know what caused it. A plume rose from the site as officials monitored the chemical in the air.

The city initially ordered people within a half-mile of the site to evacuate, affecting about 300 people, according to NBC News. Officials later expanded the evacuation zone to a 1-mile radius around 1266 Progress Ave., bringing the estimated number of evacuees to nearly 1,000. Toledo Fire and Rescue issued that order at 10:48 p.m. Tuesday, CBS News reported. A shelter-in-place order for people within 3 miles followed at 4:24 a.m. Wednesday.

People under the shelter order were told to stay indoors, close windows and doors, turn off ventilation systems that draw in outside air and keep pets inside. The city directed evacuees to a temporary shelter at Shoreland Elementary School or to the Meijer parking lot off East Alexis Road, where Red Cross and TARTA buses were stationed to provide shelter as needed, according to CBS News.

The accounts differed on the chemical’s name. CBS News reported that MC Tank Transport Inc. and the city identified it as glycidyl methacrylate, an industrial chemical used in plastics, paints and coatings. NBC News reported that Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz identified the released substance as glycol methacrylate, which it described as an industrial coating product.

“There is still concern that the tank is emitting this chemical, and it has the potential within 12 hours of the incident to be explosive,” Kapszukiewicz said. Because of that risk, he said, first responders and hazardous materials teams were staying away from the tank. Officials expected teams to assess it at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday to determine whether the chemical could be contained, NBC News reported.

CBS News identified the injured person as a Lucas County sheriff’s deputy who drove himself to a hospital after feeling unwell. NBC News reported that officials believed the first responder’s injury was not serious.

Kapszukiewicz said people near the area might notice an unusual taste or smell or experience watery eyes. He cautioned that an unpleasant exposure was not necessarily immediately harmful. Toledo Health Commissioner Karim Baroudi described the chemical as a long-term carcinogen but said there was “no immediate danger” from the release, according to NBC News. He advised anyone experiencing irritation to shower.

Dense fog and haze reduced visibility Wednesday morning. Kapszukiewicz said the chemical release contributed to the conditions, alongside natural fog. Toledo public schools were closed Wednesday, CBS News reported. The mayor did not say when the evacuation and shelter orders would end.