Listen to this article
Average 5 minutes
The audio version of this article was created by AI-based technology. It can be mispronounced. We are working with our partners to continuously review and improve the results.
A large chemical tank carrying millions of gallons of toxic liquid collapsed Tuesday at a Washington paper mill, killing at least one worker and leaving nine others unaccounted for, authorities said.
Nine others were injured in the spill, some seriously. Emergency crews were still working on recovery efforts at Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. in Longview, but hours after the explosion, some liquid remained in the collapsed tank, complicating efforts to reach victims, the Longview Fire Department said Tuesday evening.
“The tank remains unstable, creating dangerous conditions for emergency personnel,” the fire department said in a written statement. “Respondents are continuing efforts to stabilize and stabilize the site before additional rescue operations can safely proceed.”
Among the injured was a firefighter who responded. Authorities said some victims suffered burns or inhalation, with injuries ranging from minor to serious. There is no immediate threat to the public, they said.
Some people waited at the visitor’s entrance on Tuesday, seeking information about loved ones who worked at the facility. They declined to comment to an Associated Press reporter. In a nearby union hall that served as a family support center, three women shared tears before entering. Some people coming and going from the building were seen shedding tears.
Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. we are a paper mill and packaging plant along the Columbia River in Longview, a city of about 38,000 people that has had ties to the paper and lumber industries since its founding as a Kansas City lumber company in the 1920s.
The facility, which employs about 1,000 people and started in 1953, makes tissue, printing paper, cups, plates, boxes and other goods. It is located in an industrial area shared with other timber, paper and chemical businesses, and remains the backbone of the community.
“The people who responded here have friends and relatives working at the site,” said Cowlitz Fire and Rescue Chief Scott Goldstein. “It’s an impact, and we have support networks to support workers and emergency responders.”
The 3.4 million gallon tank that exploded contained a chemical known as “white liquor,” a corrosive substance that consists primarily of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide and is used to break down wood to make kraft paper, a strong paper used for packaging, shopping bags and other products.
It was too early to determine the cause of the shooting, Goldstein said.
‘Great disaster’
In a written statement, US Sen. Patty Murray of Washington called the implosion a “total disaster.”
“My heart goes out to everyone who lost a loved one today – and to the injured workers,” she said.
Mike Gorsuch, the chief of the fire department, described it as a “mass casualty incident.” He said first responders disinfected the patients and took them to hospitals in Longview and Vancouver, Wash.
About 40 firefighters and paramedics responded, along with the county’s hazmat team, Gorsuch said.
After the tank burst, the white liquor spilled into the drain, said Brittny Goodsell, spokesperson for the Department of Environment in the province. The department has sent a team to assess the impact, Goodsell said.
Nippon Dynawave, a subsidiary of Japan-based Nippon Paper Group, has been fined a total of $3,400 US for three separate health and safety violations found by Washington Department of Labor and Industry inspectors since early 2021, according to the department’s website.
In one inspection, the company was cited because face masks were not worn by all workers when required. In another, the inspector determined that the worker was exposed to a fall hazard while working at a height greater than 1.2 meters from the floor without fall protection measures in place.
In a third incident, the Department ordered that equipment involved in a work-related accident – a severed finger – be removed from its location before the state’s investigation into the accident was completed.
Online records from the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration show that safety complaints were filed against Nippon Dynawave on March 4 and May 6, but both cases remain open and information on the nature of the complaints was not available online. OSHA officials did not immediately respond to a request for additional information.
