Longview paper mill implosion lawsuit alleges company ignored safety warnings

Key Points:

• The families of two men who died in a May chemical tank implosion at Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company in Longview have filed a lawsuit against Nippon and Weyerhaeuser, alleging negligence in addressing known risks with the tank.
• The lawsuit claims Nippon ignored multiple inspections that indicated the tank was dangerously thinning and at high risk of failure, despite warnings from inspectors in the ten months before the incident.
• The implosion on May 26 released 900,000 gallons of caustic "white liquor," killing 11 men, including Dillon Miller and Clinton “CJ” Doran, whose families are seeking damages to be determined at trial.
• A U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board report confirmed that Nippon knew the tank was unfit for service but continued its use, contributing to the deadly failure.
• The lawsuit details that the tank nearly reached full capacity on the morning of the implosion, with workers gathered nearby during morning meetings when the tank collapsed, causing multiple fatalities.