Records reveal safety complaints, poor maintenance at site of deadly Washington pulp mill disaster

On May 27, 2026, a chemical tank failure at a pulp mill in Longview, Washington resulted in the deaths of 11 workers. The facility, operated by Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co., had a history of safety concerns, according to records reviewed by The Associated Press. State inspectors had intended to visit the plant to address two unrelated safety complaints when the tragedy occurred. The AP examined state and federal records related to inspections and safety concerns at the Longview plant.

Since 2016, the state Department of Ecology had issued 54 environmental violation notices and fined the company $41,500 for eight serious violations. The Department of Labor and Industries investigated over a dozen safety complaints at the plant since 2018, imposing almost $7,000 in fines for various infractions. The investigation into the tank collapse remains ongoing, and the agency has launched two new investigations since May.

To date, more than $2.4 million in workers' compensation claims have been paid for 169 employees who were injured on the job since 2015, including those affected by exposure to caustic substances. A chemical engineering professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Stephen Kmiotek, believes the multiple equipment failures and safety violations serve as "a red flag" for the company, indicating that the plant was not well-maintained and posed risks to employees and the public.

The U.S. Chemical and Safety Board released a report last week, stating that the company was aware the tank was "not fit for continued service" months prior to the failure but proceeded to use it. After the accident, the state's Department of Ecology filed a violation notice against the company, citing 35 citations.