Hundreds remained displaced Wednesday as glycidyl methacrylate continued venting from a damaged industrial tank in North Toledo.
TOLEDO, OH — Authorities expanded an evacuation zone around a North Toledo hazardous materials incident to one mile and told people within three miles to shelter in place Wednesday as an industrial chemical continued escaping from a damaged tank.
The emergency began late Tuesday near MC Tank Transport Inc. on Progress Avenue. Toledo Fire & Rescue initially moved people out of an area roughly one-half mile from the site before expanding the evacuation radius to one mile. Nearly 1,000 residents were affected by the evacuation, according to local officials. By Wednesday afternoon, the one-mile evacuation order and three-mile shelter-in-place order remained in effect while hazardous materials crews monitored the site from a distance.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency identified the chemical as glycidyl methacrylate, an industrial substance used in plastics, paints and coatings. The agency said the release came from a 5,500-gallon tank after a problem during a material transfer. Officials said the tank had been compromised and the chemical inside was undergoing a reaction that continued to vent material into the air.
Early information about whether an explosion occurred was not consistent. A City of Toledo update issued overnight said there had been a hazardous materials release but no explosion. Later reports and officials described damage to the tank in connection with an explosion or rupture. Authorities continued Wednesday to focus on the active chemical release and the possibility that nearby tanks could present additional hazards.
Attempts to contain the release were unsuccessful, the Ohio EPA said. Officials decided to allow the chemical reaction to finish because they determined that was the safest course. At an afternoon briefing, authorities estimated the release could continue for another six to 16 hours. Emergency crews could not safely move close to the tank while the venting continued and instead relied in part on drones to monitor temperatures and conditions.
Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said Wednesday afternoon that conditions appeared to be improving. Drone observations showed the temperature around the tank falling and the amount of gas being released declining, he said. Officials nevertheless kept the evacuation and shelter orders in place because the reaction had not ended.
About 30 people were treated at ProMedica hospitals for symptoms potentially connected to the chemical release, a health system spokesperson told WTVG. Most were treated and released. Glycidyl methacrylate can irritate the eyes, skin and respiratory system, and local health officials said people with asthma or other breathing conditions could experience stronger effects. Officials said environmental testing conducted around the incident had not detected concentrations they considered harmful to human health at the locations tested.
Dense fog and a temperature inversion complicated the response overnight and Wednesday morning. Those conditions can trap air near the ground instead of allowing it to mix upward, and residents across parts of the Toledo area reported smelling the chemical. Officials warned that the strong odor alone did not establish whether someone had been exposed to a dangerous concentration. Crews continued specialized monitoring because common consumer air-quality readings do not measure glycidyl methacrylate directly.
The emergency disrupted schools, businesses and public services across the area. Toledo Public Schools and Washington Local Schools canceled classes Wednesday. The North Toledo Jeep assembly plant and several automotive suppliers also canceled shifts. Republic Services suspended some collection operations, while the city closed several library branches, the Hoffman Landfill and the Clean Toledo Center and suspended some non-emergency field work.
Emergency shelters were opened for displaced residents, including Shoreland Elementary School, while the American Red Cross and local transportation agencies assisted people affected by the evacuation. The city identified the Raintree Village and Alexis Addition areas among neighborhoods within the evacuation zone.
Officials said Wednesday afternoon that the chemical was still being released and that emergency restrictions would remain until conditions allowed crews to safely reassess the site. The cause of the transfer problem and the full circumstances surrounding the tank failure remained under investigation.
Author note: Last updated October 21, 2026.