Chemical Disaster At SW Washington mill

May 30, 2026

Mill Disaster in Small Washington Town

On the morning of May 26, 2026, a “white liquor” tank failed during a shift change at Nippon Dynawave Packaging in Longview, Washington. White liquor is a highly caustic chemical mixture used in papermaking to break wood down into pulp. Reports identified the mixture as including sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide, both of which are highly corrosive chemicals used in paper pulp processing (Psaledakis et al., 2026). This disaster is one of the deadliest workplace incidents in the United States in recent decades (Rush, 2026).

The incident occurred while some workers were arriving for their morning shift and others were clocking off. The tank imploded and then ruptured, releasing more than 500,000 gallons of caustic material and causing major structural damage at the facility (Rush, 2026). Emergency responders could not immediately access parts of the site because the area remained hazardous. According to the Washington State Department of Ecology, recovery efforts were delayed because of safety concerns involving the damaged tank’s structural integrity (Washington State Department of Ecology, 2026).

The full human toll emerged gradually over the days following the incident. Initial reports on May 26 confirmed one death, nine missing workers, and nine injured people, including one firefighter (Psaledakis et al., 2026). By May 27, officials reported two confirmed deaths, nine unrecovered workers, seven injured employees, and one injured firefighter (Washington State Department of Ecology, 2026). As of May 30, authorities reported that 11 people had died and that the last victims had been recovered and identified (Rush, 2026). Some survivors suffered chemical burns and were treated at local hospitals or transferred for specialized care (Psaledakis et al., 2026). Many local families have longstanding ties to the mill through parents, spouses, siblings, friends, and neighbors who have worked there for generations (Rush, 2026).

The cause of the tank failure has not been officially determined. The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board opened an investigation into the fatal chemical tank implosion on May 27, 2026. The agency stated that its goal is to determine how the incident happened and what can be done to prevent similar incidents in the future (U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, 2026). Nippon Dynawave’s parent company, Nippon Paper Group, stated that it is assessing the accident’s impact and cooperating with the ongoing investigation (Rush, 2026).

The spill also raised environmental concerns for Cowlitz County. Some of the chemicals entered nearby storm drains, dikes, drainage ditches, and sloughs. To keep residents safe, officials warned the public to stay away from affected waterways while cleanup continued. State and federal agencies, including the Washington State Department of Ecology and the Environmental Protection Agency, became involved in monitoring the impact. Officials reported that Longview’s drinking water remained safe and that air monitoring had not detected harmful gas levels in the community. Residents were also advised to avoid affected ditches, dikes, and sloughs while cleanup and testing continued (Washington State Department of Ecology, 2026).

Families in Longview are grieving the loss of their loved ones, while a community built around mill work continues to bear the weight of this tragedy. Vigils have been held to honor those who were lost, and local support efforts are beginning for the families affected. BASIC Studios is also requesting donations to pass along to families in need.

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Works Cited

• Anguiano, Dani. “Tank-Rupture Tragedy May Be Deadliest in Washington History, Governor Says.” The Guardian, 27 May 2026, www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/27/washington-paper-mill-implosion. 
• Psaledakis, Daphne, et al. “Chemical Tank Rupture in Washington State Causes One Death, Multiple Injuries.” Reuters, 26 May 2026, www.reuters.com/world/us/multiple-injuries-fatalities-chemical-tank-rupture-washington-state-abc-reports-2026-05-26/. 
• Rush, Claire. “Nippon Dynawave Disaster Hits at the Heart of Mill Town.” AP News, 30 May 2026, https://apnews.com/article/longview-washington-mills-chemical-tank-failure-e1d288726d8f3e2a6c4e505d168e3c05.
• U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. “U.S. Chemical Safety Board Opens Investigation into Fatal Chemical Tank Implosion at Nippon Dynawave Paper Mill in Washington.” U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, 27 May 2026, www.csb.gov/us-chemical-safety-board-opens-investigation-into-fatal-chemical-tank-implosion-at-nippon-dynawave-paper-mill-in-washington/. 
• Washington State Department of Ecology. “Nippon Dynawave Industrial Incident.” Washington State Department of Ecology, 26 May 2026, https://ecology.wa.gov/spills-cleanup/spills/spill-preparedness-response/responding-to-spill-incidents/spill-incidents/nippon-dynawave-industrial-incident.