#8 trending100K+ searchesToledo Chemical Leak

Toledo chemical leak: What is glycidyl methacrylate, and how long will the evacuation last?

By Trend Desk · · 3 min read

Illustration of an industrial tank terminal in fog with a pale vapor plume and fire trucks blocking a road at night
Illustration (AI-generated)

A chemical release at a tank terminal in north Toledo, Ohio, was still going Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 21. Officials kept a 1-mile evacuation order and a 3-mile shelter-in-place order in effect. The chemical is glycidyl methacrylate, an industrial compound few people had heard of, which is why it jumped past 100,000 US searches on Google Trends. “Toledo chemical leak,” “toledo hazmat” and “toledo chemical spill” were among the related queries.

What happened

Toledo Fire & Rescue responded around 10 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, to a release from an intermodal tank at MC Tank Transport / MC Tank Terminal on Progress Avenue, according to the U.S. EPA. Reports give slightly different details:

  • Address: the city cites 1266 Progress Ave. for the terminal but draws the zones around 1050 Progress Ave. 13 ABC reported 1255 Progress Ave.
  • Tank size: the EPA describes an “approximate 5,000 gallon” tank. 13 ABC, citing the Ohio EPA, reported 5,500 gallons.

The Ohio EPA said the release followed an error during a transfer of the material, according to 13 ABC.

At 10:48 p.m. Tuesday, the fire department ordered everyone within 1 mile to evacuate. At 4:24 a.m. Wednesday, it added a 3-mile shelter-in-place order.

Why the leak hasn’t stopped

The EPA said firefighters’ attempts to contain the release were not successful. “The tank has been compromised and the chemical within the tank is completing a reaction,” its 10 a.m. update said. “The city determined that the safest course of action is to let the reaction complete.”

At a news conference around 1 p.m., officials said it could take another 6 to 16 hours for the release to finish, 13 ABC reported. Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said things were improving: “Every time the drone comes back, the temperature seems to be down a little bit. And the amount of gas that’s being vented is significantly lower than it was.”

What is glycidyl methacrylate?

It’s an industrial chemical used to make certain plastics, paints and coatings perform better, the tank company said in a statement quoted by CBS Detroit. The city calls it an irritant that can cause burning of the eyes, nose, mouth and skin. Symptoms of overexposure include headache, dizziness, tiredness, nausea and vomiting.

Lucas County Health Commissioner Karim Baroudi said Wednesday that the chemical is “mostly an irritant at this stage.” He added that long-term exposure can cause cancer and that it is “really toxic if you touch it, if you ingest it,” according to CBS Detroit.

The EPA notes that the chemical has a strong odor, so people will likely smell it before it reaches hazardous levels. The mayor said testing so far “hasn’t revealed anything that would be harmful to human health,” while cautioning that people with asthma may react more strongly.

Is anyone hurt?

About 30 people had been treated at Toledo-area ProMedica hospitals for symptoms possibly linked to the leak as of mid-afternoon, and most were treated and released, a ProMedica spokesperson told 13 ABC.

What residents should do

  • Within 1 mile: evacuate. The city listed the Meijer lot off E. Alexis Road, where the Red Cross and TARTA buses were stationed.
  • Within 3 miles: stay indoors, close windows and doors, turn off ventilation that pulls in outside air and keep pets inside.
  • If exposed: shower or rinse the area. Go to the ER or call 911 for trouble breathing, vomiting, dizziness or confusion.
  • Health questions: Toledo-Lucas County Health Department, 419-213-4100.

Don’t judge the air by how it looks. Dense fog was hanging over Toledo, and the city said you can’t tell fog from the release by sight. Standard online air-quality maps don’t measure this chemical, 13 ABC noted.

Closures

Several schools, four library branches, city offices and landfills closed Wednesday. The Toledo Jeep plant and several suppliers canceled afternoon shifts, according to 13 ABC and WTOL.

FAQ

Is the Toledo evacuation still in effect? Yes, as of Wednesday afternoon. Follow the City of Toledo for the all-clear.

Is glycidyl methacrylate dangerous? It’s an irritant at the levels described so far, officials say; high or long exposure is more serious.

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