LONGVIEW, Wash. — On Thursday afternoon, Longview officials gave an update on the recovery mission from Tuesday’s implosion. Click here to watch.
Two people were confirmed dead, nine people were missing, and eight more were hurt after a vat containing hundreds of thousands of gallons of dangerous chemicals failed at the Nippon Dynawave packaging plant in Longview on Tuesday morning.
The Longview Fire Department provided an update on Thursday, saying six of the nine missing workers’ bodies have now been recovered.
The first death was confirmed on Tuesday.
Officials say eight people were hurt and hospitalized, including seven employees and one firefighter. On Wednesday, they said that someone who was transported to the hospital had died.
Legacy Health and PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center report 5 patients have been released from the hospital, and two are still being treated.
Three people are still missing and feared dead.
“As individuals are recovered, they will undergo decontamination before being transported to the Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office for identification and family notification. The coroner’s office will release a list of names and provide a contact when all individuals have been recovered, and family notifications are complete,” the department shared.
According to the fire department, recovery efforts were delayed because of safety concerns and the structural integrity of the damaged tank.
According to the department, an estimated 90,000 gallons of additional chemical products remains in the tank. It’s less than officials anticipated, so they can now move forward with a plan to remove it.
The Washington State Department of Ecology and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are monitoring air and water quality and are overseeing operations related to potential environmental impacts.
At this time, they say there are no negative health impacts to air quality or the City of Longview’s drinking water system. The public is asked to keep away from ditches and dikes in the city while water testing is underway.
At the press conference on Thursday, they said the water is safe to drink.
The city of Longview said people may see crews opening fire hydrants to add water to the slews for dilution.
What happened on Tuesday?
At approximately 7:18 a.m. Tuesday, the Longview Fire Department (LFD) responded to a hazardous material incident at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company.
According to fire officials, a tank containing a highly acidic chemical called white liquor ruptured. Images from the aftermath show flipped cars and a crushed vat.
LFD Battalion Chief Mike Gorsuch described the scene as a “mass casualty scene,” according to The Associated Press.
As of 5:30 p.m., one person was pronounced dead. At least ten people were taken to nearby hospitals, including eight employees and one firefighter, LFD said.
Nine employees remained unaccounted for, according to Longview Fire. Officials state that crews are on a recovery mission for those nine employees, rather than a rescue.
“There is no belief that rescues still need to be made,” said Chief Scott Goldstein of Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue.
Officials confirmed there is no immediate threat to the public, but they asked everyone to stay clear of the area for the time being.
“Recovery efforts remain complex due to ongoing safety concerns at the site. While originally believed to contain approximately 80,000 gallons, officials now report the tank held approximately 900,000 gallons of white liquor. Longview Fire and Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue estimate roughly 90,000 gallons of material may remain inside the damaged tank,” Longview Fire posted to social media.
Fire officials announced Tuesday night that recovery operations would be paused for the night as emergency responders continued to stabilize the imploded tank and ensure the plant was safe enough to enter.
Shortly after the announcement, the people of Longview gathered downtown to share songs and prayers at a vigil for the historic disaster and the loss that had touched nearly everyone in the community.
“When anything happens at the mills, we all know someone affected,” said Spencer Boudreau, the vigil organizer and former Longview mayor. “This is probably the worst job site disaster we have had here, ever.”
Multiple state agencies have been called in to help with cleanup and the investigation, including the National Guard, the Department of Health, the Department of Ecology, and the Department of Labor and Industries.
“Our thoughts and our prayers are with everybody impacted by this tragedy,” said Gov. Bob Ferguson. Reactions poured in from other Washington state lawmakers and officials on Tuesday afternoon and into Wednesday.
Emergency officials said it is still not clear what caused the vat to fail.
About Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company
The Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company is a kraft pulp and paper mill and liquid packaging plant. The pulp and paper mill currently has roughly 550 employees, while the liquid packaging plant has about 450 employees, according to the Washington State Department of Ecology.
According to the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), there are currently two unrelated, ongoing inspections open at Nippon Dynawave.
“One, we opened in March after we received an anonymous complaint over concerns about a valve on an aqua ammonia clarifier tank. It was not the same tank involved in today’s incident. The other opened in May after a complaint about a sinkhole created by a failed drain,” wrote L&I in a social media post on Tuesday. “We’ve inspected the site three other times in the last five years, citing for various violations that weren’t related to chemical process or storage safety, like fall protection or failure to wear face coverings.”
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