Safety at Work
Jeff Wilson, a Washington state senator, (R-Longview) said he is calling for more safety regulations for above ground tanks like the massive chemical storage tank that imploded last month at Nippon Dynawave Packaging plant killing 11 workers.
“I have personally been inside that tank and near the tank many times,’’ said Wilson, who has lived in Longview, Washington for 56 years. The casualties are our friends and neighbors,’’ he added.
The tank, which contained more than 500,000 gallons of a mixture used to break down wood for making paper, collapsed May 26 at the Nippon Dynaware Packaging Co. The rupture expelled a flood of caustic chemicals powerful enough to overturn pickup trucks and damage buildings at the site.
The Nippon Dynawave disaster is the deadliest U.S. industrial workplace disaster incident since the October 2025 explosions at the Accurate Systems munitions plant in Tennessee, which killed 16 workers.
Family members of some of the 11 victims in this industrial pocket of southwest Washington are calling for answers and publicly questioning the safety culture at the pulp mill, and at least two families report they have hired attorneys.
The plant’s parent company, Tokyo-based Nippon Paper Company Group said in a statement that it was assessing the accident’s impact on its financial performance.
The pulp mill along the Columbia Rover in Longview has been using a chemical mix to cook wood chips for more than 70 years. Known as craft pulping, it disintegrates the wood into a strong cellulose material that can be used to make paper or containers like milk cartons.
Washington State Sen. Wilson said he is being joined by U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) to develop stronger safety regulations for above ground storage tanks nationwide.
“The Congresswoman is currently working on a few different measures in response to the explosion in Longview,’’ said Ian Loughney, digital manager and press assistant to Rep. Perez. “First and foremost, she is working to ensure there is a complete investigation into the cause of the incident and into any safety measures that can be implemented to prevent future tragedies,’’ said Loughney.
Additionally, Loughney reports that Rep. Perez has been working in the Appropriations Committee to extend funding to the Chemical Safety Board, a watchdog group that prevents chemical disasters. President Trump is proposing to cut funding for the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.
But Sen. Wilson said investigations will continue on the Longview disaster. Wilson, who can see the paper mill from his living room, said he called his son, who works on the larger industrial site, to see if he was safe. Wilson also said that investigators will examine the construction of the tank for cracks or corrosion.
Authorities reported that Nippon Dynawave has sustained a few fines in the past five years from the Washington Department of Labor and Industries. Investigators found employees not wearing face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic in one case and also found a platform higher than four feet that lacked guardrails. A worker also lost a finger last year. Combined, Nippon has incurred $3,400 in fines from workplace issues since 2021.
The plant employs 1,000 and has been operating since 1953. There are more than 450 pulp and paper mills operating in North America.
