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 “not fit for continued service” 10 months before it failed in May, killing 11 in one of the deadliest U.S.…
A federal report revealed that a chemical tank at a Washington state paper mill was deemed unfit for service 10 months before it exploded and killed 11 people in May 2026, one of the deadliest workplace disasters in recent U.S. history. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board's update about the May 26 incident, located in Longview, is part of an ongoing investigation.
The board stated that even after a July 2025 inspection that found "significant thinning" below the minimum safe thickness in the lower regions of the tank, the company did not conduct any internal inspections or shell repairs until the May 2026 failure.
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