Chemical tank explodes in Toledo forcing evacuations over toxic fears
A chemical tank blast in Toledo forced hundreds of people to flee their homes Wednesday. Officials ordered evacuations due to toxic release fears and possible further blasts. The leak first erupted Tuesday night in a largely industrial area.
Video showed a plume billowing from the tank Wednesday morning. Officials do not know what caused the incident.
Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said nearly 1,000 residents were told to evacuate overnight within a 1-mile radius. A shelter-in-place order covered a 3-mile radius. That zone included neighborhoods along the Lake Erie shoreline and stretched into Michigan.
The tank contained glycidyl methacrylate, according to MC Tank Transport. The firm called it “an industrial chemical used to make certain plastics, paints and coatings perform better.”
The chemical is liquid inside the vessel. Kapszukiewicz said the substance turns into a gas when released.
“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,” the mayor said.
He noted the container can hold 5,500 gallons of liquid. First responders, hazmat teams and safety crews stayed back due to explosion risks. Officials planned to reassess conditions later Wednesday morning.
Contact with the chemical can cause burning sensations in eyes, nose, mouth and skin, the city fire department said. Overexposure can also lead to headache, dizziness, tiredness, nausea and vomiting.
Some residents reported eye and throat irritation, city officials said. One responding sheriff’s deputy drove himself to a hospital after feeling unwell.
Karim Baroudi serves as director of the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department. He stated the substance is an irritant so far, producing watery eyes.
“It’s really toxic if you touch it, if you ingest it,” Baroudi said. “Now we’re trying to kind of determine how much of a toxicity is in the air that the people are breathing so we can give better guidance.”
Baroudi advised residents to shut windows. He said those who feel eye irritation or heavy breathing should shower.
Area resident Kristine Kowalinski lives just outside the affected perimeter. She chose to remain indoors.
“My main concern is how did that affect everything overnight when it was raining down on cars, houses, my garden,” she said.
Local health agencies monitor airborne contaminants following hazardous chemical releases. Emergency responders establish isolation perimeters around volatile industrial facilities to safeguard nearby communities. Medical personnel evaluate exposed individuals for acute respiratory and skin reactions.
Arkansas-based MC Tank Transport said the firm is coordinating with emergency authorities. Company representatives were traveling to Toledo, Kapszukiewicz said.
