Chemical release from a tank in north Toledo keeps a 1-mile evacuation and 3-mile shelter-in-place order in effect

A hazardous chemical release in north Toledo, Ohio, was continuing Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 21, 2026, and evacuation and shelter-in-place orders remained in effect, WTVG-TV (13abc) reported. At a news conference around 1 p.m., Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said testing by agencies at the scene “hasn’t revealed anything that would be harmful to human health,” and officials estimated the release could last another six to 16 hours, the station reported.¹

The orders

Toledo Fire & Rescue ordered everyone within a 1-mile radius of 1266 Progress Ave., the MC Tank Terminal, to evacuate at 10:48 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, because of a hazardous materials release, the city said. At 4:24 a.m. Wednesday, the department ordered everyone within a 3-mile radius to shelter in place: stay indoors, close windows and doors, turn off ventilation that draws in outside air and keep pets inside. The city listed Shoreland Elementary School as a temporary shelter and said Red Cross and TARTA buses were at the Meijer lot off East Alexis Road.²

The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department identified the chemical as glycidyl methacrylate, or GMA. It told people not to return to the evacuation zone until officials say it is safe and told drivers in the area to keep windows closed and use the air recirculation setting.³ The city said the chemical is an irritant that can cause burning of the eyes, nose, mouth and skin, and that overexposure can cause headache, dizziness, tiredness and nausea. It advised people with minor irritation to rinse the affected area and contact a medical professional, and those with serious symptoms such as difficulty breathing to go to an emergency room or call 911.²

What officials and the company have said

At a Wednesday morning briefing, Kapszukiewicz said a sheriff’s deputy who responded around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday was hurt and drove himself to a hospital, and that the tank can hold 5,500 gallons, the Associated Press reported. The AP described the incident as an explosion and reported that the mayor said officials did not know what caused it.⁴ The city’s page, last updated at 7:30 a.m., said no injuries had been reported and that there had been a release but not an explosion.²

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency said the release was caused by an error during a transfer of the material, that efforts to contain it failed and that the chemical was finishing a reaction, 13abc reported. Toledo Public Schools and Washington Local Schools canceled classes Wednesday.¹

The tank’s owner, Arkansas-based MC Tank Transport, said the tank held glycidyl methacrylate, which it described as an industrial chemical used in plastics, paints and coatings, and said “our immediate and overriding concern is the safety of area residents, emergency responders and our employees,” according to the AP.⁴ In a statement quoted by 13abc, the company identified itself as a subsidiary of The Kenan Advantage Group.⁵

What the records do not show

• Neither the city’s page nor the text of the health department’s advisory includes air-monitoring readings, and the city’s page had not been updated after 7:30 a.m. Wednesday when SignalData checked it.²³
• The city’s page gives 1266 Progress Ave. as the site but measures the evacuation and shelter zones from 1050 Progress Ave.; the health department uses 1266 and says people within 2 to 3 miles should shelter in place.²³
• The city’s page does not name the chemical, give a cause or say how much of it was released.²