俄亥俄州托莱多 —— 俄亥俄州当局周四缩小了本周早些时候破裂并喷出白色烟柱的化学品罐周围的疏散区。
TOLEDO, Ohio — Authorities in Ohio on Thursday reduced the evacuation zone around a chemical tank that ruptured earlier in the week, sending a white plume billowing into the air.
托莱多消防救援局将 MC Tank Terminal 现场周围的疏散半径从半英里缩减至四分之一英里。当局在一份新闻稿中表示，疏散令将一直保持到爆炸风险消除。
Toledo Fire & Rescue reduced the evacuation zone from a half-mile radius around the MC Tank Terminal site to a quarter-mile radius. The evacuation order will remain in place until the risk of explosion has passed, authorities said in a news release.
该区域内的居民和企业必须继续撤离，但区域外的人员可以返回。就地避难令已于周三晚间解除。
Residents and businesses in that area must remain evacuated, but those outside that area can return. A shelter-in-place order had already been lifted Wednesday evening.
破裂发生在周二深夜。MC Tank Transport 表示，罐内装有缩水甘油酸甲酯，该公司将其描述为“一种工业化学品，用于改善某些塑料、涂料和涂层的性能”。市领导决定让化学品自然排放，而不是试图堵漏，称后者更危险。新闻稿称，罐体周四仍在释放物质，但速度已显著放缓，且罐温持续下降。
The rupture happened late Tuesday night. MC Tank Transport 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 news release said the tank was still releasing material Thursday but that it had slowed significantly and the tank temperature continued to drop.
新闻稿指出，随着罐内压力下降，爆炸风险降低，救援人员正准备进入现场，希望周四将现场控制权移交给所有者进行清理。
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 release said.