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Washington chemical tank was called unfit for service before deadly failure, investigators find
Investigators said the contractor warned of severe wall thinning and urged repairs, but the company did not act before the tank failed.
- A federal report released Friday by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board found that a chemical tank at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company mill in Longview was "not fit for continued service" 10 months before it failed in May, killing 11 people.
- In July 2025, inspection contractor Applied Technical Services LLC identified "significant thinning" below minimum safe thickness, yet Nippon Dynawave did not remove the tank from operation or derate it for reduced service before the May 26 implosion.
- The tank failure released roughly 900,000 gallons of white liquor, destroying buildings and killing 11 workers. Survivor Massey described hearing "a loud rumbling" as the vessel imploded around 7 a.m., forcing workers to flee the caustic liquid.
- Earlier this week, the Washington Department of Ecology issued notice of 35 environmental violations to Nippon Dynawave, with the company facing potential fines of up to $10,000 per violation, per day.
- While the Chemical Safety Board continues its investigation into the cause of the failure, Nippon Dynawave stated it will not speculate on the incident, noting it is working with agencies as they determine why the vessel failed despite previous inspection warnings.
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Associated Press News+15 Reposted by 15 other sources
Washington chemical tank was called unfit for service before deadly failure, investigators find
An inspection contractor found a chemical tank at a Washington state paper mill was unfit for service 10 months before its fatal failure in May. The U.S.
·New York, United States
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Washington ecology department finds more than 30 violations after deadly Longview mill implosion
The Washington State Department of Ecology says it has identified more than 30 violations after investigating a deadly tank implosion at the Nippon Dynawave paper mill in Longview.
·Portland, United States
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Total News Sources21
Leaning Left8Leaning Right1Center12Last UpdatedBias Distribution57% Center
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources are Center
57% Center
L 38%
C 57%
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