Ohio toxic chemical release prompts evacuations, widespread smell: Updates

Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAYWed, October 21, 2026 at 12:34 PM UTC

2

A haze of hazardous materials released from a chemical tank forced hundreds of residents in Ohio to evacuate or shelter in place overnight and into Wednesday morning, and authorities were watching for a potential explosion risk, officials said.

The incident happened at about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday at the MC Tank Transport terminal in north Toledo, Ohio, causing the release of glycidyl methacrylate, an industrial coating product that is stored as a liquid but has been released into the air as a gas, Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said at a news conference on Oct. 21.

Kapszukiewicz called the incident an explosion of the chemical tank, but city spokesperson Rachel Hart later told USA TODAY that no explosion occurred. Kapszukiewicz said there was a 12-hour window of potential explosive risk until about 9:30 a.m., but authorities haven't given an update after that passed.

Late Tuesday, officials in Toledo ordered residents in a 1-mile radius, about 983 people, to evacuate from their homes. Overnight, they issued a shelter-in-place order for those within a 3-mile radius, and advised residents to keep doors and windows shut and turn off any ventilation that draws outdoor air inside.

The chemical can cause burning of the eyes, nose, mouth and skin, and symptoms of overexposure include headache, dizziness, tiredness, nausea and vomiting, the city said. But officials said that smelling it or experiencing irritation doesn't mean residents are being exposed to dangerous levels.

"It's mostly an irritant at this point," Lucas County Regional Board of Health Commissioner Karim Baroudi said.

One person, a sheriff's deputy, was injured and was able to transport himself to a hospital for treatment, the mayor said.

Chemical release triggers explosion risk within 12 hours

Kapszukiewicz said authorities were watching closely for the chance that the chemical tank could explode. The main concern for impacts from a potential explosion are within the radius of the evacuation zone, he said.

"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," Kapszukiewicz said.

Because of the continued explosion risk, first responders and hazmat teams have not approached the tank, he said. Kapszukiewicz said they would reassess at about 9:30 a.m., but officials haven't given updates since then.

Officials: Chemical smell doesn't mean residents are in immediate danger

Residents even beyond the evacuation and shelter-in-place zones can smell and taste "something unnatural," Kapszukiewicz said. People may also be experiencing irritation in their eyes. The combination of the plume from the hazardous chemical and fog in the Toledo area has heightened concern, he said.

Advertisement

"There is a difference, though, between an annoying or unpleasant taste in your mouth or smell, and a dangerous or toxic amount of exposure. There is no question that we're all kind of smelling and sensing something in the air. That doesn't necessarily mean that it is something that is harming us immediately. There are levels of exposure to something like this," Kapszukiewicz said.

Baroudi said the chemical is toxic and, given long-term exposure, a carcinogen. But he downplayed the immediate risks to residents being exposed after this incident.

"It's really toxic if you touch it, if you ingest it. Now we're trying to determine how much of a toxicity is in the air that people are breathing so that we can give better guidance," Baroudi said.

If you feel irritation in the eyes or are breathing heavily, "just take a shower for now," Baroudi said.

Did the Ohio chemical tank explode?

Kapszukiewicz at the news conference on Wednesday morning referred to the incident as an explosion, but Hart clarified in an email to USA TODAY that there was no explosion.

"There was a release of glycidyl methacrylate from a tanker that produced a large plume," Hart said.

USA TODAY has reached out to MC Tank Transport for clarification on how the chemical was released.

MC Tank Transport says it is working with authorities in response to chemical release

The tank that stores the glycidyl methacrylate has a 5,500-gallon capacity, the mayor said. MC Tank takes the chemical, stores it at its Ohio terminal and then transports it, Toledo Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Michael Posadny said. According to the company's website, it specializes in liquid bulk transport.

It was an employee who first called 911 and alerted authorities to the leak, Kapszukiewicz said.

MC Tank Transport said in a statement that its immediate concern is the safety of residents, first responders and employees and that it is working with authorities.

"We understand the serious disruption this incident has caused to nearby residents and businesses, particularly those required to evacuate their homes. We are committed to assisting those affected," the statement reads. "We urge everyone in the area to follow all evacuation and shelter-in-place instructions issued by local authorities."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ohio toxic chemical release prompts evacuations, widespread smell: Updates

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Breaking”