Smurfit WestRock contractor falls in pit used to turn material into pulp

Authorities say a Smurfit WestRock contractor fell into a pit used to process wood material into pulp on Wednesday and was injured.

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Jodi Snedden said her husband, Cory Snedden, fell at the mill along the Columbia River. As of about 10 a.m. Thursday, she said he was at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver and is scheduled to have surgery.

She didn't explain what caused the fall.

A PeaceHealth spokesperson said he is in fair condition.

What did he fall into?

The equipment, a hydrapulper, didn't have as much material in it as usual because it wasn't in normal operations, according to a Longview Fire Department notice.

Paper pulper machines process board plates, waste paper, broken paper and other materials into pulp.

The Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers later reported in a press release that the machine had been removed from service for maintenance and didn't include materials to process during the time of the fall.

The worker was not an AWPPW bargaining unit member, the release states.

Initial reports suspected the contractor may have been submerged in materials in the pit, estimated to be 15-20 feet deep.

How was he rescued?

Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue Lt. Bryan Ditterick said crews were dispatched at about 1:41 p.m. Wednesday to the pulp and paper mill off Industrial Way, about 3 miles east of Nippon, the site of the fatal May 26 chemical tank rupture.

One medical unit was delayed by a train, Ditterick said about the Smurfit WestRock injury.

Crews used a rescue basket to remove the contractor from the pit.

The worker sustained moderate injuries and was transferred to Longview's PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center, according to the Longview Fire notice.

Smurfit WestRock spokesperson Robby Johnson confirmed the injury. The contractor was the only person reported injured.

Will there be an investigation?

The AWPPW reports that the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries was already on site during the fall to attend a meeting between union members and staff.

L&I has already started reviewing the case, the union reports.

What does the mill produce?

WestRock and Smurfit Kappa announced their merger in 2023. The Longview mill on the Columbia River was previously owned by KapStone Paper & Packaging, and Longview Fibre Paper and Packaging before that.

The mill produces cardboard materials, including containerboard and corrugated containers. It recently opened a 410,000-square-foot corrugated box plant.

The Washington State Department of Ecology reports the mill has about 1,000 employees and produces about 3,600 tons of paper and corrugated products and 2,800 tons of unbleached pulp a day.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with the latest information. Reporter Minka Atkinson contributed.

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