Chemical tank ruptures in Toledo, Ohio, 50,000 people told to shelter in place
A chemical tank in Toledo, Ohio, ruptured on Tuesday night 20 October, billowing a white plume into the air for several hours and forcing hundreds of residents out of their homes due to the potentially toxic leak and the possibility of an explosion.
According to Fox10 News, more than 50,000 people in Toledo were advised to stay indoors for much of the day until the city lifted a shelter-in-place order in the evening of Wednesday 21 October.
It was reported that city leaders allowed the chemical to vent instead of trying to stop the leak, saying that would be more dangerous. Videos published online show a plume coming from the tank into early Wednesday afternoon, more than 14 hours after the tank began leaking. Some residents reportedly felt irritation in their eyes and throats and sought treatment.
The tank was believed to contain glycidyl methacrylate, which was described as "an industrial chemical used to make certain plastics, paints and coatings perform better:.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency said without elaborating that the leak happened because of an error while the material was being transferred.
