Washington Chemical Tank Rupture Death Toll Rises to 11
Authorities in Washington state said Saturday that the death toll from a chemical tank rupture at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility in Longview has risen to 11, after recovery crews found the bodies of all nine people who had been missing since the incident.
The rupture occurred Tuesday, when a tank containing “white liquor” imploded at the paper-related manufacturing site. White liquor is a chemical solution made up of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide and is used in the production of paper pulp. Two deaths had previously been confirmed, while emergency personnel continued searching for those unaccounted for.
Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue Deputy Chief Kurt Stitch said crews spent the week working through debris inside the facility and using drones to inspect the site’s perimeter. The recovery effort took place amid structural damage at the plant and concerns about hazardous materials from the ruptured tank.
Officials said the tank held about 3.4 million litres of white liquor. Testing showed contamination reached the nearby Columbia River. Authorities have also said, however, that no negative health impacts had been detected in local air quality or in Longview’s drinking water.
The Longview facility is operated by Nippon Dynawave Packaging, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nippon Paper Industries. Nippon Paper, Japan’s second-largest paper manufacturer by sales, bought the plant from Seattle-based timber company Weyerhaeuser for $225 million US in 2016.
The incident has drawn attention to industrial safety, emergency response, and environmental monitoring in communities near large manufacturing sites. As of Saturday, officials had accounted for all missing people. Further details on the cause of the tank failure, the extent of river contamination, and any possible regulatory review were not included in the initial reports. Further information may be released as official reviews continue.