An implosion occurred at a paper mill company Tuesday, but KING 5 investigators found the company has a history of safety violations and state investigations.
Longview, Washington— After an implosion at a Longview paper mill On Tuesday, KING 5 investigators uncovered a history of workplace violations at the company at the center of the implosion.
Nippon Dynawave Packaging suffered a storage tank implosion accident early Tuesday morning. causing at least one death and causing serious injuries to others. The total number of fatalities is unknown and nine employees are also missing, according to fire officials.
Longview Fire Department Battalion Chief Mike Gorsuch said the rupture occurred at the paper mill facility at 3401 Industrial Road. A 900,000-gallon tank approximately 60 percent full of white liquor ruptured. White liquor is a chemical mixture of sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfide, and sodium carbonate used in the papermaking process. Fire officials said it was too early to determine the cause of the tank rupture.
KING 5 has reached out to the company for comment.
The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) cited the company for safety violations four times between 2019 and 2025.
L&I also has two public investigations into Nippon.
One of the investigations began two months ago after an anonymous complaint about a valve on a tank of ammonia, a highly corrosive chemical. The investigation is ongoing.
L&I officials told KING 5 the investigation does not involve the tank that imploded on Tuesday.
Washington state has fined the company for four violations including failing to protect employees from falling off equipment, failing to require masks during the pandemic and an incident in which an employee had a finger amputated.
State records show the company was not cited for causing the injuries, but for moving the equipment before the state could conduct a proper inspection.
The company has paid a fine of $3,400, which is relatively small compared with other fines L&I has issued to other businesses.
State investigators are at the scene of a major chemical implosion.
