At least one person was killed and nine workers remain missing after a chemical tank imploded Tuesday morning at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. pulp and paper mill in Longview, Washington. Eight workers and one firefighter sustained injuries, officials said.
What happened
The incident occurred at about 7:19 a.m. when an 80,000-gallon tank used to store white liquor—a chemical mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide commonly utilized in pulp processing—ruptured at the facility near Washington’s southern border with Oregon. While initial reports estimated the tank was 60% full, later assessments suggested it held up to 900,000 gallons, with about 90,000 gallons still inside the damaged structure.
Emergency teams, including roughly 40 firefighters, paramedics, and a regional hazardous materials unit, responded immediately to the scene. The tank’s unstable condition created ongoing risks for responders, complicating recovery efforts. Authorities planned to stabilize the tank and begin removing the chemical by Wednesday.
PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center in Longview confirmed receiving nine patients from the incident, one of whom died at the hospital. Four were transferred to the Legacy Oregon Burn Center in Portland for specialized care. Injuries ranged from minor to critical, including burns and inhalation damage. The Longview Fire Department did not clarify if the deceased was among the workers or emergency personnel.
Officials have notified the families of all nine missing employees but have not yet determined the implosion’s cause. Cowlitz Fire and Rescue Chief Scott Goldstein emphasized that current priorities remain life safety and incident stabilization. Governor Bob Ferguson expressed state support for those affected.
Why it matters
The rupture of a chemical storage tank with hazardous materials poses significant risks to worker safety and environmental contamination. The incident highlights the dangers present in industrial chemical handling and the challenges emergency teams face when stabilizing damaged infrastructure containing volatile substances. Recovery efforts and investigations will be closely watched for implications on industrial safety regulations and community protection protocols in Washington and beyond.
Background
The Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. plant in Longview is a major pulp and paper facility that manufactures materials used in products like tissues, printing paper, cups, plates, and cartons. The site employs approximately 1,000 workers, according to the Washington State Department of Ecology. White liquor is essential to pulping processes but is highly caustic and hazardous if containment fails. This incident follows ongoing concerns about chemical storage safety in industrial sectors across the U.S.
Sources
This article is based on reporting and publicly available information from the following source:
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