‘Major chemical explosion’ kills multiple people at Washington paper mill

By Kai Uyehara, The Seattle Times

SEATTLE — Multiple people were killed while others suffered chemical burns and other injuries in Longview after a “major chemical explosion” was reported at a pulp and paper mill Tuesday morning, authorities say.

The explosion was reported around 7:20 a.m. at the Nippon Dynaware Packaging facility in Longview, according to the city’s Fire Department. The incident involved a vat of chemical treatment product.

Residents are being asked to stay away from Industrial Way and avoid the surrounding areas while emergency crews go to work, the Fire Department said. The department said there is no immediate threat to the public.

The scene remains in the recovery phase, as emergency responders continue operations.

The number of people killed is unknown.

Officials at a Tuesday afternoon news conference said there are critical injuries as well as individuals who are not yet accounted for. Ten people, including a firefighter, were injured and are in various conditions, they said.

The injured were taken by ambulance to hospitals in Longview and in Vancouver, Clark County, the department said.

There are no immediate health concerns resulting from the explosion, said Washington State Department of Ecology spokesperson Anna Izenman. But spill responders are monitoring for impacted wildlife.

Nippon Dynawave in Longview is a pulp and paper mill with around 550 employees, producing about 280,000 tons of bleached liquid packaging paperboard and wetlap and slush pulp each year, according to Ecology. The liquid packaging plant has about 450 employees.

Spill responders are deploying to the Longview paper mill where a tank released white liquor to the storm drain system, which connects to the diking system, Izenman said. The diking system’s pumps which discharge to the Columbia River have been shut off.

White liquor can’t be contained and collected like oil, Izenman said. It can only “self-neutralize” with water over time.

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