At least eight people are dead, and three others are presumed dead after a chemical explosion at a pulp and paper mill in Washington state.
The explosion happened just before 7:30 a.m. local time at the Nippon Dynaware Packaging facility in Longview, Washington, less than an hour north of Portland, Oregon. According to The Seattle Times, the explosion involved a vat of chemical treatment product.
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Of the nine injuries, eight were plant workers, while the tenth was a firefighter, according to fire officials. Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue Chief Scott Goldstein told The Seattle Times that many of the first responders knew or had friends who worked at the site.
Emergency responders told local outlets that the explosion is no longer a danger to the public and that there are no immediate health concerns related to the chemical treatment product.
The substance is called white liquor, which is used in the paper-making process to separate lignin and cellulose, two organic compounds in wood. White liquor is an extremely caustic alkaline and can cause severe chemical burns that penetrate deep into the skin.
Past safety violations
The plant has had safety issues prior to the explosion. In 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the plant for a “serious” safety violation. The details of the citation were not immediately available, but the agency cited the plant’s failure to maintain “a workplace free from recognized hazards that are causing, or are likely to cause, serious injury or death.”
The company corrected the violation during an inspection and was fined $2,700, according to OSHA records. OSHA has an open case for another alleged violation stemming from a complaint someone filed against the company this month.
Washington state regulators fined the company $9,000 in 2018 for an environmental violation.
In 2025, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded the plant a $46.6 million grant for a clean energy demonstration program. So far, the government has paid the company $610,355, according to federal records.
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