Jeep's parent company, Stellantis, evacuated employees at its North Toledo Jeep Assembly Complex following a spill of hazardous material in the city about one mile away from the plant.
The city of Toledo said in an online news release that a "hazardous material release" occurred at the MC Tank Terminal late Tuesday night following an explosion. The release was ongoing, according to the city. The chemical in question is glycidyl methacrylate, a plastic additive that "can cause burning of the eyes, nose, mouth, and skin."
"Symptoms of overexposure include headache, dizziness, tiredness, nausea and vomiting," the city added.
The Toledo Assembly Complex, where Jeep makes the Wrangler SUV and Gladiator pickup, is split into two plants, north and south.
The northern half of the Toledo Assembly Complex is about one mile from where the incident occurred. The city said everyone who lives or works within one mile of the spill should evacuate until further notice. People within three miles of the site should shelter in place, close windows and doors, keep pets inside and turn off ventilation systems that bring outdoor air inside.
Stellantis spokesperson Jodi Tinson told the Detroit Free Press that the north complex was evacuated the night of Oct. 20 following reports of the spill, and the first shift on Wednesday, Oct. 21 was canceled. The company had not yet made a decision about whether a second shift will run at the plant.
The south plant, outside the evacuation zone but within the three-mile, shelter-in-place zone outlined by the Toledo city government, is not running this week, Tinson said.
The Toledo Fire & Rescue Department first issued an evacuation order for about 300 residents within a half-mile radius of the incident Tuesday night. It soon expanded the evacuation order to a 1-mile radius of the incident site.
The United Auto Workers, which represents employees at the Toledo Assembly Complex, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Liam Rappleye covers Stellantis and the UAW for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him: LRappleye@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Toledo Jeep plant evacuated after release of hazardous chemical
