TOLEDO — The evacuation zone is lifted. Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz announced Friday afternoon that all residents forced from their homes by the chemical leak at the MC Tank Transport terminal in north Toledo may return, ending the emergency that began Tuesday night.

“As of late last night, the final contents of the tank vented out and so now the tank is entirely empty,” Kapszukiewicz said at a noon news conference at One Government Center. “It did take longer than we thought it would, longer than we wanted it to, frankly.”

With the glycidyl methacrylate gone from the tank, the explosion risk that held hazmat crews back has passed. “At this time, we do feel confident that the site is safe,” said Toledo Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Blake Molnar.

Kapszukiewicz also revealed the cause: an MC Tank Transport employee introduced a temperature level into the tank during a transfer attempt Tuesday night, triggering the release. The company has “accepted responsibility for what happened,” the mayor said. It was an employee who first called 911.

No explosion or fire occurred at any point, officials said — despite the mayor having previously described the release as an explosion.

A total of 57 people sought hospital treatment for exposure symptoms — headaches, difficulty breathing and watery eyes. All are now in “good condition,” Kapszukiewicz said, with nothing approaching a life-threatening injury.

Residents returning home should ventilate their houses with fresh air, clean surfaces and throw out any uncovered foods, city health officials said.

The investigation continues. “There’s a lot of unanswered questions. There will of course be an investigation,” said U.S. EPA Region 5 Administrator Anne Vogel.

Catch up on our earlier coverage of the leak.

Sources: USA Today

Photo: Emergency responder in hazmat suit. U.S. Army photo by Brian Godette / Wikimedia Commons (public domain).