Follow-up: Toledo Chemical Leak Eases: 35 Treated at Hospitals, Evacuation Zone Cut to Half a Mile, Shelter-in-Place Lifted

The chemical tank leak in northern Toledo, in Lucas County, Ohio, eased on the afternoon of October 21. At around 5 p.m. local time, the city said Toledo Fire and Rescue had reduced the evacuation zone from the original one-mile radius to a half-mile radius and lifted the three-mile shelter-in-place order. The ProMedica health system told USA TODAY that, as of 5 p.m., at least 35 people had reported to local hospitals with symptoms potentially related to the leak, and most had been treated and released. A Lucas County sheriff's deputy who was injured while responding, and who drove himself to a hospital, remained the only known injured first responder. (GSM, reporting from USA TODAY)

The incident began at about 9:30 p.m. on October 20 at the MC Tank Terminal at 1266 Progress Avenue, where an error during a transfer caused glycidyl methacrylate, an industrial coating chemical stored in a 5,500-gallon tank, to leak and disperse as a gas. Fire officials initially ordered about 983 residents within one mile to evacuate and advised those within three miles to shelter in place, keeping doors and windows closed and turning off ventilation systems that draw in outside air. Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz initially warned that the compromised tank could become explosive within hours, so responders could not approach it and the city decided to let the reaction inside the tank run its course. City spokesperson Rachel Hart later clarified that no explosion had occurred.

Kapszukiewicz said on the afternoon of October 21 that the tank's temperature had dropped significantly and the amount of gas being vented was much lower, and that authorities were waiting for the chemical to vent out rather than sending first responders in to actively stop the leak. As long as material remained in the tank, he said, there was a risk of explosion and crews could not approach it. The city said Toledo Fire and Rescue hazardous materials personnel were working with federal, state and local partners to monitor conditions, coordinate mitigation and evaluate next steps. Lucas County Regional Board of Health Commissioner Karim Baroudi said the chemical was mostly an irritant at this point; the city says it can cause burning of the eyes, nose, mouth and skin, and symptoms of overexposure include headache, dizziness, tiredness, nausea and vomiting, while stressing that smelling it or feeling irritation does not mean a person has been exposed to dangerous levels.

Two Toledo-area school districts canceled classes on October 21: Toledo Public Schools closed 57 schools serving roughly 21,000 students, and Washington Local Schools, serving about 6,600 students, also closed. Bryant Somerville, a spokesperson for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, said the release resulted from an error that occurred when the material was being transferred; officials have not provided further details. MC Tank Transport said in a statement that it was working with authorities, that the safety of residents, first responders and employees was its immediate concern, and that it was committed to assisting those affected.

Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 图：俄亥俄州 Toledo 跨越 Maumee 河的 Anthony Wayne Bridge（资料图，非事发现场）。Limpfster94 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经维基共享资源。Photo: The Anthony Wayne Bridge over the Maumee River in Toledo, Ohio (file photo, not the incident site). Limpfster94, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Latest in States

Nevada Names Its Newest State Park Crossroads Canyon: 1,627-Acre Park in Dayton Opens Public Planning Survey2026-11-01Oregon Marks 50th National Weatherization Day: 1,141 Homes Weatherized Last Year, Saving an Average of $372 a Year2026-11-01