A leaking tank of an industrial chemical in north Toledo forced families within a mile from their homes and kept people within three miles indoors while dense fog hid the cloud from view.
Story Highlights
- Late Tuesday, October 20, Toledo Fire & Rescue ordered everyone within one mile of the leak on Progress Avenue to leave home.
- At 4:24 a.m. Wednesday, October 21, people within three miles were told to stay inside with windows and doors shut.
- The county health commissioner said there was no immediate danger, while the mayor said the tank was still leaking. The chemical is glycidyl methacrylate, an irritant that health officials say can cause cancer with long-term exposure.
- Toledo Public Schools and Washington Local Schools canceled classes Wednesday, and a sheriff’s deputy was hospitalized.
- By Wednesday evening, officials lifted the shelter-in-place order and shrank the evacuation zone to a half mile.
Orders Issued: One-Mile Evacuation, Three-Mile Shelter-in-Place
The orders came because a tank at the MC Tank Transport terminal kept leaking glycidyl methacrylate into the air and onto the ground. The chemical is used to make plastics, paints and coatings hold up better. City officials said it can burn the eyes, nose, mouth and skin, and officials have called it a carcinogen, meaning a cause of cancer, if it is swallowed at certain levels.
Toledo Fire & Rescue ordered the one-mile evacuation at 10:48 p.m. on Tuesday, October 20. At 4:24 a.m. on Wednesday, October 21, the department added a three-mile shelter-in-place order. Shelter in place means staying indoors with doors and windows closed. People in that zone were told to turn off any fan, furnace or air system that pulls in outside air and to keep pets inside. Drivers in the zone were told to set their car vents to recirculate, which reuses the air already inside the car.
Fog Hid the Release
Dense fog and very little wind settled over the city through Wednesday morning, and many residents worried the fog was the chemical cloud. The city warned, “You can’t tell fog from the release by looking, so please don’t rely on how the air looks.” Anyone outside the zones who smelled an unusual odor was told to stay indoors and follow the same steps. The haze also cut visibility on roads, including Interstate 75.
Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz named the chemical at a Wednesday morning news conference. “There is still concern that the tank is emitting this chemical,” he said, adding that the tank was still leaking. Lucas County Health Commissioner Karim Baroudi, the county’s top public health official, said the chemical was mostly an irritant at that stage and that there was no immediate danger from the release, while crews worked to measure how much was in the air.
Who Was Affected and Where Evacuees Went
The evacuation zone took in the Raintree Village mobile home park and the Alexis Addition neighborhood, and Washington Township crews helped move people out. Shoreland Elementary School opened as a temporary shelter. The American Red Cross and buses from the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority, the city’s public bus system, waited at the Meijer parking lot on East Alexis Road to carry people out and give them shelter. Police blocked Enterprise Boulevard between Stickney Avenue and Benore Road, and nearby rail lines were shut down.
A sheriff’s deputy was hurt and taken to a hospital. Officials have not released the nature of the injury. MC Tank said equipment tied to its operations was involved and that it was working with the Red Cross to arrange lodging and rides for displaced residents. “Our immediate and overriding concern is the safety of area residents, emergency responders and our employees,” the company said.
Where the Leak Came From
The city’s evacuation map was drawn around 1050 Progress Avenue. The city’s order names the MC Tank terminal at 1266 Progress Avenue, on the same road, as the source. Early reports pointed to a neighboring business, Sterling Pipe & Tube, which was also evacuated. Officials have not released what caused the tank to fail or how much of the chemical escaped.
What Comes Next for Families and the City
As of Wednesday morning, October 21, both the one-mile evacuation and the three-mile shelter-in-place orders remained in effect, and fire officials said the release was ongoing. Residents should follow city alerts before going home. Officials asked people not to call 911 about the leak itself and to use the city’s Engage Toledo line for non-emergency help.
For minor irritation, the city advises rinsing the skin or eyes and calling a doctor. Signs of overexposure include headache, dizziness, tiredness, nausea and vomiting. Anyone with trouble breathing, vomiting, dizziness or confusion should go to an emergency room or call 911. The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department takes health questions at 419-213-4100. None of this replaces a call to your own doctor if you feel unwell.
Why This Matters to Working Families
Many of the people pushed out of their homes live in a mobile home park and neighborhoods next to the industrial strip along Progress Avenue, and they had to leave late at night in thick fog. Clear alerts, real shelters and buses waiting at the curb are what families should expect when a plant next door has a bad night. So is a full public account of what failed and how much leaked, once the tank is safe.
Sources:
cbsnews.com, thehill.com, yahoo.com, 13abc.com, cleveland.com, mercercountyoutlook.net