Stellantis halted Jeep Wrangler assembly in Toledo after a chemical leak at an industrial site near the factory. Employees at the north plant left work early on Tuesday, October 20, and the company canceled both shifts scheduled for the following day. The emergency also affected nearby homes and businesses.
Jeep Wrangler production paused after chemical spill near Toledo plant
Ann Marie Fortunate, a Stellantis spokesperson, confirmed the measures taken at the plant. The incident involved the MC Tank terminal on Progress Avenue, a facility that handles and stores liquid chemicals about 1.5 kilometers from the Jeep factory.
The Toledo complex also builds the Gladiator, but production of that model had already stopped for the entire week. The south plant sat outside the initial evacuation zone, although it later fell within the broader area covered by additional restrictions. Its shutdown therefore began before the incident and remained separate from the decision affecting Wrangler production.
Fire officials issued the first evacuation orders at 10:48 p.m. local time on Tuesday for buildings within one mile of the emergency site, roughly 1.6 kilometers. At 4:24 a.m. on Wednesday, authorities expanded the measures and told people within three miles, or about 4.8 kilometers, to remain indoors.
Officials later reduced the restricted area. By the afternoon of October 21, authorities lifted the broader shelter-in-place order while keeping the evacuation zone within half a mile, or around 800 meters. The restrictions also forced changes to local services during the day.
Authorities identified the released material as glycidyl methacrylate, an industrial chemical that can cause irritation. The EPA joined emergency crews by providing technical assistance and air monitoring, checking volatile organic compounds and particulate matter along the boundaries of the evacuation area.
In an update released Wednesday morning, the environmental agency said containment efforts had not stopped the release. The material inside the tank was undergoing a reaction, and authorities decided to let that process run its course while maintaining monitoring and protective measures.
The UAW also responded through Vice President Kevin Gotinsky, who oversees relations with Stellantis, calling for the union’s members to remain protected throughout the emergency. The union encouraged workers to contact their representatives if they encountered problems. Local authorities said the drinking water supply remained uncontaminated and expected municipal services to resume on October 22.