9 Still Missing After Longview Mill Disaster as Relief Fund Opens

LONGVIEW, Wash. — Nine workers remain unrecovered as recovery crews worked methodically through the wreckage of Nippon Dynawave Packaging’s mill, a day after a catastrophic chemical tank rupture that Gov. Bob Ferguson called potentially “the deadliest industrial tragedy in modern Washington state history.”

Officials confirmed a second death Wednesday after one of the workers transported from the scene Tuesday succumbed to injuries, bringing the confirmed death toll to two.

The transition from rescue to recovery operations was declared Wednesday morning after engineers and drone assessments determined conditions at the facility had stabilized enough to proceed. Recovery crews, hazardous materials teams, state agencies and federal environmental officials remained on scene as investigators continued assessing the damage and environmental impact from the rupture of a tank containing white liquor, a caustic chemical solution used in paper manufacturing.

Recovery Operations Underway

Scott Goldstein, chief of Cowlitz Fire & Rescue, said the formal transition to recovery came after crews worked through significant structural concerns that had slowed access to the site since Tuesday’s emergency response.

“I want to make it clear that based upon the entirety of the scene safety and the stability of our concerns is how we approached our incident here,” Goldstein said. “Not because of our staffing levels, nor the availability of protective equipment.”

A major development Wednesday eased one of the response’s central concerns. Goldstein said officials had estimated roughly 90,000 gallons of chemical product remained in the ruptured tank following Tuesday’s incident. Further evaluation Wednesday, including assessments by plant officials, reduced that figure to approximately 25,000 gallons and confirmed the tank was stable in its position.

“That alleviated the predominance of our concerns of the tank failing,” Goldstein said. Contingency plans and resources remain in place if conditions shift and stabilization or removal operations become necessary.

Longview Fire Battalion Chief Matt Amos said recovery operations would continue to be slow and deliberate given the dangers inside the facility.

“The priority is ensuring responder safety while treating every victim with the greatest dignity, care, and respect as possible,” Amos said.

At the press conference, officials confirmed:

• Nine individuals remain unrecovered.
• Seven employees remain hospitalized with injuries.
• One firefighter injured during the response has been released from the hospital.
• One worker transported Tuesday has died, bringing the confirmed death toll to two.

Amos said all recovered victims will undergo decontamination before transportation to the Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office for identification and family notification. Authorities will not release names until all victims have been recovered and families notified.

Columbia River Contamination Confirmed

Goldstein confirmed Wednesday that environmental testing showed contamination from the incident entered the Columbia River on Tuesday.

“Testing of water samples has confirmed contamination entered the Columbia River during the day yesterday,” Goldstein said.

Representatives from the Washington Department of Ecology and the Environmental Protection Agency remained on scene conducting air and water quality monitoring while coordinating mitigation efforts with public utilities and local diking districts. Officials said current testing showed no evidence of airborne contamination threatening surrounding neighborhoods or Longview’s drinking water system.

The public was asked to avoid nearby drainage ditches, waterways and the surrounding industrial road network while cleanup and recovery operations continue.

Ferguson: Historic Tragedy

Gov. Bob Ferguson described the disaster Wednesday as potentially the deadliest industrial accident in modern Washington history and announced the deployment of multiple state agencies and Washington National Guard units to assist.

“We’re bracing ourselves for this being the deadliest industrial tragedy in modern Washington state history,” Ferguson said.

We’re bracing ourselves for this being the deadliest industrial tragedy in modern Washington state history.

— Gov. Bob Ferguson

State resources deployed to the scene include 46 National Guard members, among them 10 Civil Support Team members assisting the Department of Ecology with air monitoring and 20 Homeland Response Force members supporting decontamination operations. Eight fatality search and rescue personnel have also been deployed to assist recovery efforts.

Ferguson confirmed state crews had recovered approximately a dozen dead carp from diking areas near the facility. The Department of Labor and Industries is working with injured workers and families of the deceased, while the state Employment Security Department has activated its Rapid Response Team and reached out to the company and the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers union to coordinate resources.

Congresswoman Calls for Full Investigation

U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez spoke at Wednesday’s briefing about the toll industrial accidents take on mill communities and called for a comprehensive investigation into the rupture.

“The mill workers I’ve talked to want full accountability,” Gluesenkamp Perez said. “They want a comprehensive, unbiased investigation into how this could have happened.”

Gluesenkamp Perez also warned against overlooking the economic pressures bearing down on Washington’s remaining mills and manufacturing workforce.

“If you’re not in a trades family or a mill family, it can be hard to understand how devastating an industrial accident like this is for a mill town like Longview,” she said.

If you’re not in a trades family or a mill family, it can be hard to understand how devastating an industrial accident like this is for a mill town like Longview.

— U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez

Relief Fund Established for Families

Labor organizations have established a relief fund for families affected by the disaster. Community members wishing to contribute can mail checks payable to the Cowlitz Wahkiakum Labor Council to:

Mail checks payable to the Cowlitz Wahkiakum Labor Council to:

Longshore Credit Union
629 14th Ave
Longview, WA 98632

Include “Family Fund Donation” in the memo line.

The cause of the tank rupture remains under investigation.

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