Second Fatality Confirmed in Nippon Dynawave Chemical Blast
A chemical explosion at the Nippon Dynawave facility in Longview, Washington, has resulted in a second confirmed death, with ongoing recovery efforts amid environmental concerns.
A second employee has been confirmed dead following a chemical implosion at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility in Longview, Washington. The incident, which occurred around 7:15 a.m. on Tuesday, resulted in nine individuals remaining unaccounted for, prompting authorities to shift from rescue to recovery operations as of Wednesday morning. Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue Chief Scott Goldstein indicated that many of those missing were in their workspaces at the time of the blast, which is believed to have happened during a shift change when some employees were in break rooms.
“Our preparations may indicate this could be the deadliest industrial tragedy in modern Washington State history,” said Washington Governor Bob Ferguson. Officials reported that contamination has been detected in part of the Columbia River, although specific details regarding the pollution's extent were not immediately available. Brian Wood, support services director for the facility, noted that spikes in pH levels were recorded shortly after the incident, indicating chemical leakage into the waterway.
Recovery efforts have commenced, with safety conditions deemed stable, allowing teams to begin work. Additional monitoring and mitigation efforts are being conducted by the Washington State Department of Ecology and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. As of Wednesday, seven other employees remained hospitalized, with one firefighter injured during operations who has since been released.
The contaminated chemical, referred to as white liquor, is primarily used in paper and pulp processing. The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board has opened an investigation into the incident, sending investigators to the site as further evaluations are made concerning the environmental impacts. Officials urged the local community to avoid ditches and dikes amid ongoing water testing, assuring that no adverse effects on air or drinking water have been identified for Longview residents thus far.
