Nippon Facility Implosion Kills at Least 1, Injures 10 as Others Remain Missing

11 articles · Updated · KATU · May 26

At least 1 person died after a white-liquor tank imploded Tuesday morning at Nippon Dynawave Packaging in Longview, Washington, and officials said additional fatalities were confirmed while some people remained unaccounted for.
10 people — including 1 firefighter — were injured, with patients taken to hospitals in Longview and Vancouver; PeaceHealth said it received 9 patients, 1 of whom died, 2 were transferred and 6 were in fair condition.
Longview fire officials said the tank was about 60% full of white liquor, a highly corrosive alkaline chemical used in papermaking, and the cause of the implosion has not been determined.
Residents were told to avoid the Industrial Way area, though officials said there was no broader threat to the city; response operations were expected to continue through the night.
The blast hit the same Longview site where a massive fire in July 2023 burned wood piles for days, adding to scrutiny of the facility's safety record.

Did the Nippon facility's public safety records contain warnings that this explosion was waiting to happen?

How will this disaster at a foreign-owned plant influence industrial safety standards across the United States?

Beyond the initial blast, what invisible chemical dangers now threaten the residents of Longview?