Investigation begins, recovery concludes at site of Longview tank explosion

Response crews have collected over 2,000 dead fish from ditches near the Columbia River.

By Jason Upton June 3, 2026 5:12 pm

Aerial view of a large industrial plant with connected pipes, tanks, and smokestacks emitting steam. In the background are more structures and vehicles in a yard. — ContributedNippon Dynawave storage tank on May 27, 2026. Photo courtesy of Washington State Dept. of Ecology

LONGVIEW, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – An investigation is underway as the recovery efforts conclude following the deadly tank explosion in Longview.

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) has formally opened an investigation into the chemical tank that ruptured at the Nippon Dynawave paper mill. The tank had a 900,000-gallon capacity and was estimated to be about two-thirds full of white liquor at the time of the incident.

L&I will seek to determine what happened, decide whether it involved and workplace safety violations and attempt to prevent similar incidents from happening moving forward.

It comes as Longview officials announced in a press conference on Saturday, May 30, that the final victims have been recovered from the scene.

11 people were killed and several others were injured in the May 26 explosion, which has been described as the deadliest industrial disaster in modern state history.

Response crews have since collected over 2,000 dead fish from ditches near the Columbia River. But Washington State Dept. of Ecology said there’s no evidence that any contamination reached the river itself since the incident occurred.

According to Ecology, the cleanup at the site at the facility was ongoing as of Tuesday, June 2, as vacuum trucks with pumps will continue to remove waste and liquid for the foreseeable future.