Toledo chemical explosion prompts evacuations and shelter-in-place orders - NBC News
A chemical release of glycol methacrylate at an MC Tank Transport facility in Toledo, Ohio, forced evacuations and shelter-in-place orders for local residents. While one first responder was injured, officials have since downgraded the emergency zone as they work to mitigate the hazard.
Why it matters
The incident highlights industrial safety risks and the impact of chemical accidents on urban residential areas.
A chemical release at a north Toledo, Ohio, company prompted an evacuation of nearby residents, including some who described concerning health effects and an alarming foglike haze. Glycol methacrylate, an industrial coating product, was released into the air Tuesday night, Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz told reporters Wednesday morning. One person, a first responder, was injured and taken to the hospital, he added, but officials believe the injury is not serious. Officials do not know what caused the chemical release, which the city clarified was not an explosion. At 5 p.m. Wednesday, the evacuation zone, which at its peak affected about 1,000 residents within a 1-mile radius, was reduced to a half-mile zone around the facility, and a shelter-in-place order for a 3-mile radius was lifted, the city said.
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Industrial Chemical Leak Triggers Evacuations and School Closures in Toledo
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