Longview paper mill workers return as investigation continues

Employees head back to work five months after the blast that killed 11 workers

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.

ContributedThe Nippon Dynawave paper mill in Longview after the May 26 explosion. Courtesy of Washington Dept. of Ecology

LONGVIEW, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Employees at the Nippon Dynawave paper mill in Longview are returning to work this week, five months after a deadly chemical tank failure.

KIRO 7 reports the return comes as federal investigators continue examining the May 26 tank implosion that killed 11 workers.

A preliminary report from the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board found the tank had been deemed unsafe before the accident.

In August, the Washington Department of Ecology issued an enforcement notice to Nippon Dynawave outlining 35 environmental violations linked to the tank collapse.

Ecology said the spill entered the mill’s wastewater treatment system, with some material bypassing treatment and reaching the Columbia River. The agency also cited the company for improper waste handling, inadequate hazardous waste management and failures in required inspections and employee training programs.

The catastrophic failure released about 900,000 gallons of a pulping chemical known as white liquor, creating a wave of caustic liquid that flooded parts of the facility.

The federal investigation remains ongoing, and a final report has not yet been released.