Chemical implosion kills multiple people at Longview paper mill

Key Points:

• A major chemical implosion occurred Tuesday morning at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging pulp and paper mill in Longview, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries, including chemical burns.
• The incident involved the rupture of a tank containing about 48,000 gallons of white liquor, a chemical used in papermaking, which leaked into the storm drain and diking systems; pumps discharging into the Columbia River have been shut off.
• Ten people were injured—nine mill employees and one firefighter—with injuries ranging from minor to critical; the firefighter has been released from the hospital, but the number of fatalities and missing persons remains unknown.
• Emergency crews are actively responding, and residents are advised to avoid the Industrial Way area; authorities report no immediate public health threat, though spill responders are monitoring for environmental impacts.
• Nippon Dynawave employs around 550 people and produces significant quantities of bleached liquid packaging paperboard; the white liquor chemical cannot be contained like oil and will self-neutralize over time.