A haze of hazardous materials released after an explosion of a chemical tank forced hundreds of residents in Ohio to evacuate or shelter in place overnight and into Oct. 21, officials said.
The tank exploded at about 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 20 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.
Late the night of Oct. 20, 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.
One person, a sheriff’s deputy, was injured and was able to transport himself to a hospital for treatment, the mayor said.
A map released by the city of Toledo, Ohio, shows the immediate evacuation zone (1-mile radius shown in red) and the shelter-in-place order (3-mile zone in yellow) due to a hazardous materials release.
“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. They will reassess at about 9:30 a.m. local time once that window has come to a close.
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.
“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.
Lucas County Regional Board of Health Commissioner Karim 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 mostly an irritant at this point,” Baroudi said. “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.”
If you feel irritation in the eyes or are breathing heavily, “just take a shower for now,” Baroudi said.
The tank that stores the glycidyl methacrylate has a 5,500-gallon capacity, the mayor said. MC Tank takes the chemical, stores it briefly 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: Toxic chemical explosion prompts evacuations, widespread smell
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