A chemical leak at BleachTech on Ryan Road in Seville has resulted in ongoing cleanup in Medina County.
The shelter-in-place order, which was put in place on Monday morning, has now been lifted.
Officials want to reassure everyone that none of the leaked material has left the BleachTech property.
Chemical leak in Seville: Medina County Sheriff urges shelter-in-place for those within quarter-mile radius:
Chemical leak in Seville: Medina County Sheriff urges shelter-in-place for those within quarter-mile radius https://t.co/lftlIdefig
— albert thrower (@albertthrower3) January 15, 2024
Cracked Pipe Causes 30,000-Gallon Hydrochloric Acid Leak
The incident involving a 30,000-gallon tank of hydrochloric acid was caused by a leaked pipe, according to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The problem began around 10:30 a.m., when acid began to leak into the tank’s secondary containment unit. Unfortunately, the secondary unit also had a leak.
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Cleanup Operations Continue: Reduced Shelter Radius and Ongoing Monitoring
The Medina County Sheriff’s Office initially issued a half-mile radius shelter-in-place order, which was later reduced to a quarter-mile radius.
By 4:30 p.m., emergency management officials declared that the shelter-in-place warning had been lifted, removing any further risk to nearby companies.
As HAZMAT teams try to transport the liquid from the secondary containment tank to individual storage tanks, cleanup efforts continue.
Despite the fact that some acid has infiltrated a nearby retention pond, a small crew is still on-site to monitor the cleanup. Ryan Road will remain closed while construction continues.
According to their website, BleachTech, a privately held firm established in Cleveland, operates chlor-alkali plants generating sodium hypochlorite (bleach) in Seville and Petersburg, Virginia.