US News
Records reveal history of safety complaints and maintenance issues at Washington pulp mill following deadly tank collapse
Regulatory filings and safety records show recurring violations and chemical releases at the Nippon Dynawave facility where 11 workers were killed in May.
The short version
- State and federal records show the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. mill in Longview, Washington, had a yearslong history of maintenance problems, safety complaints, and chemical leaks prior to a May tank collapse that killed 11 workers.
- Federal investigators reported that the company was aware the chemical tank was unfit for continued operation months before the fatal failure.
- The plant faces ongoing state and federal investigations into the disaster and other workplace incidents, as well as a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the family of two deceased workers.
Key facts
- A chemical tank collapse at the Nippon Dynawave pulp mill in Longview, Washington, killed 11 employees in May.[Associated Press · ABC News]
- The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board reported that the company knew the tank was not fit for continued service months before it failed.[Associated Press · ABC News]
- State inspectors had scheduled visits to the mill on May 26 and May 27 to examine separate safety complaints, including an unclosable ammonia valve and a worker submersion incident, but the visits were interrupted by the collapse.[Associated Press · ABC News]
- Prior to the fatal incident, the Washington Department of Ecology had issued 54 environmental violation notices to the company since 2016, fining it $41,500 for eight serious violations.[Associated Press · ABC News]
- State records show more than $2.4 million has been paid in workers' compensation claims for 169 injured employees at the facility since 2015.[Associated Press · ABC News]
- A Nippon Dynawave spokesperson declined to comment on plant maintenance and equipment records, citing active investigations.[Associated Press · ABC News]
What remains uncertain
- The definitive root causes and full regulatory findings regarding the May tank collapse remain undetermined while state and federal inquiries continue.[Associated Press · ABC News]
- The outcome of the wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the mother of two deceased workers remains unresolved.[Associated Press · ABC News]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.