Toledo Chemical Leak Forces Evacuation of About 983 Residents Amid Explosion Fears

A chemical release at the MC Tank Transport terminal in north Toledo forced about 983 residents to evacuate Tuesday night, and a shelter-in-place order spread across a 3-mile radius early Wednesday as officials warned of a possible explosion risk.

The incident began around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, when glycidyl methacrylate, an industrial chemical used to make plastics, paints and coatings perform better, leaked from a 5,500-gallon tank during a material transfer, Ohio EPA spokesperson Bryant Somerville told USA Today. The chemical is stored as a colorless liquid but was released into the air as a gas, producing a large plume that spread through the area.

Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz initially described the incident as an explosion of the chemical tank, but city spokesperson Rachel Hart later said no explosion occurred. “There was a release of glycidyl methacrylate from a tanker that produced a large plume,” Hart told USA Today.

Officials ordered residents within a 1-mile radius to evacuate late Tuesday. Overnight, the zone widened: everyone within 3 miles was told to shelter in place, stay indoors, keep windows and doors shut, and turn off ventilation that draws in outside air. Toledo Public Schools and Washington Local Schools cancelled classes for Wednesday, according to ABC 13 Action News. One sheriff’s deputy who responded to the scene was injured and transported himself to a hospital; the mayor gave no details about his condition.

Explosion risk keeps crews from the tank

The leaking tank still had the potential to become explosive within 12 hours of the incident, or until about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to Kapszukiewicz. Because of that risk, first responders and hazmat teams had not approached the tank and planned to reassess conditions Wednesday morning.

Thick fog that formed across northern Ohio before the release may have made the situation worse. AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said calm winds and a temperature inversion likely trapped moisture and pollutants near the ground, slowing the plume’s dispersal.

What the chemical can do

Glycidyl methacrylate can cause burning of the eyes, nose, mouth and skin, according to the city, with overexposure symptoms including headache, dizziness, tiredness, nausea and vomiting. The liquid form is more dangerous: it can cause first-degree burns and severe eye damage on contact, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

“It’s mostly an irritant at this point,” said Karim Baroudi, the Lucas County Regional Board of Health commissioner. Baroudi said the chemical is toxic and can be a carcinogen with long-term exposure. “It’s really toxic if you touch it, if you ingest it,” he said. “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.” He advised anyone feeling eye irritation or heavy breathing to shower and contact a medical professional, and said people with difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, dizziness or confusion should go to an emergency room or call 911.

Kapszukiewicz acknowledged the widespread smell across the city but drew a line between odor and danger. “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.”

An employee at the facility first called 911, the mayor said. MC Tank Transport Inc., which was acquired in 2025 by North Canton-based Kenan Advantage Group, said in a statement: “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.”

Reporting based on coverage by USA Today, CNN and the Columbus Dispatch.