TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Seven people remained hospitalized in northeast Ohio on Thursday as authorities continued to respond to the aftermath of a chemical tank leak earlier in the week that sent a white plume billowing into the air.
Toledo Fire & Rescue said the seven, none in serious condition, were among 57 people treated in hospitals since the tank ruptured at MC Tank Terminal on Tuesday, forcing hundreds of people from their homes and businesses.
Officials have reduced the evacuation zone from a half-mile radius around the MC Tank Terminal site to a quarter-mile radius.
The evacuation order is to remain in place for the smaller zone until the risk of explosion has passed, authorities said in a statement, but residents and businesses outside the area can return. An earlier shelter-in-place order was lifted Wednesday evening.
The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department has issued guidance, including for the handling of ventilation systems, food, clothing and pets, for residents returning home. Local health officials are also developing guidance for food-related businesses to safely reopen. The Ohio State University Extension office has recommended that any produce or crops that were outside within the 3-mile (4.8-kilometer) shelter-in-place zone be discarded.
The city also plans to clean outdoor playgrounds within the zone.
The rupture happened late Tuesday night. MC Tank Transport, the owner of the site, said the tank contained glycidyl methacrylate, which it described as “an industrial chemical used to make certain plastics, paints and coatings perform better.”
City leaders were allowing the chemical to vent instead of trying to stop the leak, saying that would be more dangerous. The statement said the tank was still releasing material Thursday but that it had slowed significantly and the tank temperature continued to drop.
The explosion risk decreases as the tank pressure decreases, and crews were preparing to enter with hopes of transitioning control of the site back to the owner for cleanup on Thursday, the statement said.
