Emergency crews are working to deal with contaminated water after a fatal explosion at Nippon Dynawave.
LONGVIEW, Wash. — Emergency crews are working to flush contaminated water through a ditch system in Longview after a fatal implosion at Japan’s Dynawave paper mill. Killed two people Nine others are still missing.
Officials say water affected by the corrosive white liquor release is being removed from residential areas and the city’s drinking water supply, then diluted and discharged into the Columbia River. The action is overseen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington Department of Ecology.
Officials are pumping water from fire hydrants in the Cowlitz River and Highland communities into a ditch system while operating the Reno Pumping Station, which discharges into the Columbia River. Continuous pH monitoring is being done at pumping stations to ensure contaminated water does not reach unsafe levels before entering the river.
The purpose of the dilution process is to reduce contamination levels to reduce the potential for environmental damage, authorities said. If testing shows these efforts are ineffective, pumping operations will be stopped while crews take additional steps to lower the pH before resuming.
Officials said there are no current concerns about impacts to local drinking water supplies, but warned that long-term contamination of the ditch system could increase the risk of contaminants reaching the underlying aquifer.
The industrial accident occurred around 7:15 a.m. Tuesday during a shift change at the plant, said Cowlitz Fire Rescue Fire Chief Scott Goldstein. The implosion damaged administrative offices, break rooms and operational areas within the facility.
The Longview Fire Department said Wednesday that a second person injured in the incident died at a hospital. PeaceHealth St. John’s Medical Center said nine patients were evaluated Tuesday. Patient injuries include chemical skin burns, eye and respiratory irritation.
Four people were transferred to other area hospitals, one patient died and four others were discharged, according to Peace Health.
Goldstein said rescue crews began recovery operations Wednesday morning because structural problems involving the damaged tank prevented them from entering the scene.
Officials initially believed the tank contained about 900,000 gallons of white liquor, a highly corrosive substance used in the papermaking process, but later revised the estimate to about 600,000 gallons. Authorities also reduced the estimate of the amount remaining in the tank from 90,000 gallons to about 25,000 gallons.
Testing confirmed that contamination from the spill had reached the Columbia River, but officials said they were still determining the extent of the environmental impact. Gov. Bob Ferguson said crews removed about a dozen dead carp from a nearby levee.
Environmental monitoring continues around the site, with fixed and portable systems checking air and water quality. Officials said there have been no impacts to Longview’s air quality or drinking water systems.
Residents are again urged to avoid ditches and levees near Washington Road and Prudential Avenue due to possible contamination.
