What we know about the fatal Longview chemical implosion

One person was killed, nine were injured and nine remain missing after a major implosion Tuesday morning at a pulp and paper mill in Longview, in Southwest Washington.

There is no belief that there's rescues that need to be made," said Chief Scott Goldstein of Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue at a news conference Tuesday evening.

Here's what we know about the major industrial incident so far:

What happened?

An employee at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility called 911, reporting that multiple people in the plant had chemical burns and were missing, according to 911 audio obtained by The Seattle Times.

"We need rescue units, Fire Department, everyone," he told a 911 dispatcher.

A rupture of a chemical tank at the pulp and paper mill was reported around 7:20 a.m., according to the city's Fire Department.

The implosion required a large response from fire-and-rescue agencies and coordination with hospitals as the number of reported patients climbed, according to 911 calls and dispatch records.

It is still unclear what caused the implosion as recovery efforts continued Wednesday.

What do we know about the facility?

The Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility, where the implosion occurred, employs around 550 people, producing about 280,000 tons of product each year, according to the Washington State Department of Ecology. The site's liquid packaging plant has about 450 employees.

Japan-based Nippon Paper Industries bought the liquid packaging mill in 2016 from Weyerhaeuser, a Seattle-based timberland company, for $285 million.

What do we know about the tank that ruptured?

The tank that ruptured contained what is called white liquor and held about 900,000 gallons, the city of Longview said Tuesday evening. About 90,000 gallons could still be inside the damaged tank.

White liquor is a mix of heavily caustic chemical compounds that, when heated, breaks down wood so pulp can be extracted.

Officials had initially estimated that the tank contained 80,000 gallons.

White liquor "would burn your skin, basically second- to third-degree burns, when you come in contact with it," said Matt Amos of the Longview Fire Department at the Tuesday evening news conference.

"Direct inhalation, if you're in a lot of plume it can be dangerous, but it's more of an irritant as it creates a small cloud on the ground before it dissipates," he said.

What do we know about the injured, dead and missing?

Among the nine injured, eight were employees and one was a firefighter.

Officials have not released the name of the person who was killed in the implosion. It's not clear if they were an employee.

"At the moment, we are not aware of any rescues that are yet to be made that are being hampered by the situation at hand," Goldstein said Tuesday evening.

"We had folks in firefighting gear make entry and then we had folks in hazmat suits make entry and did checks into areas that were dangerous, extremely dangerous, he continued.

Those hurt had injuries ranging from minor to critical, Goldstein said Tuesday. The firefighter has since been released from the hospital.

The injured were taken by ambulance to hospitals in Longview and south to Vancouver. It is unknown how many were in critical condition or what their conditions are Wednesday morning.

How are crews looking for the missing?

Goldstein said there is a concern about additional leakage from the tanks because their contents are caustic, but did not offer many specifics on further recovery efforts.

Emergency crews were assessing the structural integrity of the damaged tank and working to stabilize it before recovery operations can safely proceed, Goldstein said.

They monitored the site into Tuesday evening but couldn't resume their efforts until Wednesday because of safety concerns.

How have state officials responded to the incident?

Gov. Bob Ferguson said he directed the National Guard to assist with search and recovery in a contaminated environment, and to help with decontamination.

"On behalf of the people of the state of Washington, I want you to know that we stand with you, we'll be here to do anything we can to help with the situation, and we'll be here as long as it takes," Ferguson told the residents of Longview. "We also deeply appreciate the first responders."

With disasters of this magnitude, "it's difficult always to find the words in times like this," said Ferguson at the evening news conference.

Various state agencies have been mobilized, including the state Department of Ecology.

Once first responders finish their efforts, the state Department of Labor and Industries will begin an investigation.

Is there public health risk or environmental impact?

There are no wider health threats from the implosion, said state Department of Ecology spokesperson Anna Izenman.

But spill responders deployed to the pulp and paper mill and are monitoring for affected wildlife, she said.

The tank at the mill released white liquor into the storm drain system, which connects to the diking system, Izenman said. The diking system's pumps, which discharge to the Columbia River, were shut off.

White liquor can't be contained and collected like oil, Izenman said. It can only "self-neutralize" with water over time.

Has the facility had any safety violations in the past?

The mill has a long history of environmental and other violations with both federal and state regulators, though the resulting fines have been relatively minor.

The site has a long list of environmental violations, complaints and safety citations, including a longstanding and "significant" inability to abide by contaminant regulations, sometimes exceeding its limits by nearly 800%, federal records show.

In 2017, about 4,000 to 5,000 gallons of sulfuric acid spilled at the Nippon Dynawave plant, local officials said at the time, according to past news reports. The spill was quickly contained and no one was injured.

The company called 911 to report the incident, which was caught by a containment moat, Nippon Dynawave said at the time.

Over the last five years, officials with the Environmental Protection Agency formally cited Nippon Dynawave Packaging for at least five air and water violations.

For the informal and formal violations, the mill has been fined a total of $16,000, EPA records show. So far the agency has collected $10,000 of that.

Federal officials have also cited the mill for violations including the improper operation and maintenance of equipment, industrial spills, failure to conduct inspections and more. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited the facility for two separate violations over the past five years, one of which garnered a $700 fine.

Washington's Department of Ecology fined the company twice in 2024 for wastewater and air pollution violations. The penalties totaled $6,500.

Seattle Times staff reporters Shauna Sowersby, Conrad Swanson, Lulu Ramadan, Paige Cornwell and news research Miyoko Wolf contributed to this report.

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