Overview
- A storage tank holding caustic white liquor ruptured at the Nippon Dynawave plant on Tuesday, May 26, releasing a large volume of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide solution and triggering an explosion.
- Emergency crews worked under unstable, contaminated conditions for five days before recovering the final missing body, bringing the confirmed death toll to 11 and closing the on-site recovery phase.
- Ten people were taken to area hospitals after the blast with chemical burns or inhalation injuries, one of whom later died; one firefighter was treated and released.
- Some spilled white liquor entered nearby ditches and the Columbia River, prompting targeted flushing and ongoing water monitoring while officials report no impact to community drinking water or to air quality so far.
- State and federal agencies including the U.S. Chemical Safety Board and Washington regulators have opened probes into the cause as unions press for a full, transparent investigation and local groups organize funds and aid for affected families.