TOLEDO | Chemical Leak Evacuations Lifted; Residents Can Go Home as EPA Keeps Monitoring Air

Author: FFP Ai Bot

TOLEDO — Every evacuation order from the north Toledo chemical leak has been lifted, and the last people kept out of their homes can go back, city and federal officials said Friday, Oct. 23. Glycidyl methacrylate, the chemical that escaped from a tank at MC Tank Transport on Progress Avenue, is no longer being detected in the air, but U.S. EPA crews will stay in the area to keep monitoring.

“The final 152 people who faced an evacuation order can now go back home,” Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said at a news conference Friday, WTOL 11 reported. “We’re finally able to return to some level of normalcy here in our community.”

When and why the order ended

Lifted at noon: Toledo Fire and Rescue lifted the quarter-mile evacuation zone at 12 p.m. Friday and turned the site at 1266 Progress Ave. over to the company and the U.S. EPA for cleanup, according to the City of Toledo’s incident page. 13 Action News reported the order ended late Friday morning.
Tank empty: The tank finished venting late Thursday night and is now empty, the mayor said. “It did take longer than we thought it would, longer than we wanted it to, frankly,” he said, according to 13 Action News.
No hazards found: Hazmat crews found no detectable hazards when they went back into the site, and conditions were judged safe to hand over for the next phase of cleanup, the city said.
Site still being watched: “At this time, we do feel confident that the site is safe,” Toledo Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Blake Molnar said. “However, we want to maintain and be certain that the protection to the community is not compromised at any point as we transfer this over.” He said officials are waiting on a safety plan from the cleanup contractor, 13 Action News reported. WTOL 11 reported the plan was expected later Friday.

EPA monitoring continues

U.S. EPA Region 5 Administrator Anne Vogel said EPA crews will remain in the area to keep monitoring, and that glycidyl methacrylate is no longer being detected in the air, WTOL 11 reported. She said five EPA on-scene coordinators worked the incident and that the chemical breaks down quickly in air.

Eight monitoring sites remain set up around the area, WTOL 11 reported. The EPA is also bringing in its Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyzer, a mobile lab known as the TAGA bus, for more detailed air testing. 13 Action News reported it was expected to arrive Friday. The EPA posts updates on its Toledo Glycidyl Methacrylate Release response page.

Brian Kelly, an EPA on-scene coordinator, said experts had estimated the chemical reaction would last 24 to 36 hours, and it ran about 30 hours, WTOL 11 reported.

The mayor said data the city gathered during the incident would be released by the end of the day Friday. He said nothing seen so far shows the readings ever reached a toxic level, 13 Action News reported.

What caused it

Officials said the leak was a mistake. The mayor said an employee of MC Tank Transport “introduced a temperature” to the tank while trying to transfer the liquid, which set off a chemical reaction. “This was a mistake made by an employee of the company,” Kapszukiewicz said, according to 13 Action News. WTOL 11 reported the mayor said the company has accepted responsibility, and that talks about accountability will now “begin in earnest.”

How many people were affected

At its largest, the 1-mile evacuation zone covered about 1,000 people, the mayor said. The half-mile zone covered about 300, and the 3-mile shelter-in-place order covered about 5,400, WTOL 11 reported.

Dr. Brian Kaminski, ProMedica’s vice president of medical affairs and safety, said the hospital system treated about 60 patients in the metro area. Almost all were released, and a small number were admitted, WTOL 11 reported. The mayor said none of the cases were life-threatening.

Going home: what residents should do

Dr. Karim Baroudi, commissioner of the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department, pointed people to the return-home guidance on the city’s website. The health department’s evacuation return guidance advises:

Ventilate: Open windows and doors, on opposite sides of the house if you can, and follow official guidance before running heating or air conditioning.
Clean: Wipe counters, tables, floors and other hard surfaces with warm water and dish soap. Wipe car door handles with a wet paper towel before using them. Do not mix cleaning products.
Check food: Throw out uncovered food and produce left outside or on counters. Wipe sealed cans and jars before opening. When in doubt, throw it out.
Wash clothing that may have been exposed before wearing it.
Protect pets: Throw out pet food left out, wash bowls, replace outdoor water and call a veterinarian if a pet shows symptoms.
Watch your health: If symptoms start while you are inside, go to fresh air and seek medical advice. Call 911 for severe trouble breathing.

The Ohio State University Extension office still recommends throwing away produce or crops that were outdoors within the old 3-mile shelter-in-place zone, and the city plans to clean playgrounds in that area, the city said. Toledo tap water was never contaminated, according to the city.

Baroudi said the chemical is heavier than air and is not expected to have traveled far. “We consider this an isolated incident at this point,” he said, WTOL 11 reported.

Phone numbers

Health department information hotline: 419-779-7089
Toledo-Lucas County Health Department: 419-213-4100
Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222
Shelter help: The emergency shelter closed Wednesday night after evacuees found other places to stay. Anyone who still needs a place to stay can call 1-800-RED-CROSS or 211, the city said.
Emergencies: 911

Timeline

Tue., Oct. 20, 10:48 p.m.: 1-mile evacuation ordered around 1266 Progress Ave.
Wed., Oct. 21, 4:24 a.m.: 3-mile shelter-in-place ordered.
Wed., Oct. 21, 5 p.m.: Evacuation cut to a half mile; shelter-in-place lifted.
Thu., Oct. 22, 10:30 a.m.: Evacuation cut to a quarter mile.
Thu., Oct. 22, late night: Tank finished venting.
Fri., Oct. 23, noon: Evacuation lifted; site turned over to the company and the U.S. EPA for cleanup.

Source: City of Toledo.

Earlier coverage: Toledo chemical leak evacuation zone cut to a quarter mile

Sources

https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/toledo-mayor-epa-admin-press-conference-chemical-leak/512-fd24ecfe-cbd0-46ce-a6e7-bad9e8742283
https://www.13abc.com/2026/10/23/investigators-city-leaders-hold-news-conference-giving-update-chemical-release/
https://toledo.oh.gov/news/2026/10/22/hazmat-evacuation-in-north-toledo
https://response.epa.gov/site/site_profile.aspx?site_id=17475
https://lucascountyhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/GMA_Evacuation-Return-Guidance_10212026.pdf
https://apnews.com/article/toledo-chemical-release-ohio-hazmat-bdb36e0f9153a1a4450f73ae2321cdc7