Overview
- A storage tank at Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. in Longview ruptured early Tuesday, killing at least one worker, injuring multiple people and leaving nine workers unaccounted for.
- Officials said the tank once held roughly 900,000 gallons and an estimated 90,000 gallons of white liquor remain inside, creating severe chemical and structural hazards that have halted full recovery efforts.
- Responders treated several victims for chemical burns and inhalation injuries and transported patients to hospitals in Longview and Vancouver, including one firefighter who was treated and released.
- State teams including the Washington Department of Ecology and the Washington National Guard Civil Support Team have been deployed to monitor air and water impacts and to help stabilize the tank before further searches.
- The plant dates to the 1950s and has had prior safety complaints and modest fines; authorities have opened formal investigations into the cause, environmental effects and how the incident will affect the Longview community and workforce.