(CNN) – The chemical release in Toledo was due to an “error that occurred when the material was being transferred,” according to Bryant Somerville, a spokesperson for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA confirmed the released chemical, which came from a 5,500-gallon tank, is glycidyl methacrylate, which is classified as a flammable and has a noticeable odor.
Toledo Environmental Services notified the Ohio EPA about the incident around 11:40 p.m. Tuesday, Somerville said in a statement.
Ohio EPA’s Office of Emergency Response then deployed to the scene, where its role is supporting emergency operations on scene, according to the statement. Air monitoring is being done by the US EPA, Somerville said.
ProMedica healthcare system said it has evaluated and treated approximately 30 patients across Toledo metro-area hospital locations who reported symptoms “potentially related to the chemical leak,” as of 1 p.m. Eastern Time.
Most patients have been treated and released, ProMedica said.
ProMedica operates ProMedica Toledo Hospital, the largest hospital in Toledo, according to the healthcare system.
ProMedica also said ProMedica Hospital Toledo is available “as an open shelter for community members who may need a safe place to go as a result of this incident.”
The City of Toledo offered guidance for residents impacted by the explosion and those in surrounding areas Wednesday.
Toledo’s fire department ordered everyone within a one-mile radius of the tank terminal to evacuate and everyone within a three-mile radius to shelter in place.
For those sheltering in place, the city advised shutting windows and doors, turning off AC units drawing in outside air and keeping pets inside.
For residents in the surrounding area, the water is still safe to drink, as the source remains uncontaminated, the city said.
Roads around the evacuation area are closed, but the local interstate remains open. The city advised drivers in the area to roll up their windows and recirculate air inside the vehicle.
The US Environmental Protection Agency is monitoring air quality around the evacuation zone, and the city said it will conduct additional testing around the shelter-in-place zone soon.
Ships currently in port in Toledo, Ohio, are not moving out until the hazard from the chemical tank explosion is “taken care of,” city officials said.
“They’re picking up odors at the docks,” Michael Posadny, the special operations deputy chief at Toledo Fire and Rescue, said at a news conference Wednesday morning.
Additionally, CSX trains with rail lines running along the property where the explosion occurred are shut down, Posadny said.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is monitoring the ongoing release of hazardous chemicals from the tank, the governor’s office told CNN.
“Our administration through the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, the Ohio Department of Public Safety, and the Ohio Environmental Agency has been in close contact on the scene with local officials in Toledo regarding this incident,” the governor’s office said in a statement.
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