Authorities are offering a closer look at the aftermath of the May 26 disaster at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging mill in Longview, Washington. The community is trying to make sense of what happened amid ongoing investigations, and analysts are assessing potential wider market implications.
The white liquor tank implosion there two weeks ago killed 11 people, and the facility has remained mostly shut down since. The Washington Department of Ecology released new photos of the aftermath and cleanup, and the labor union representing some workers cautioned people not to draw conclusions about the incident yet simply based on the photos.
The new photos show the tank with a hole in the side and sandbags placed around it to contain any remaining contamination because rain moved into the area, Ecology explained in an email update on Sunday.
During recovery operations at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging site, crews removed part of the cinder block wall separating the break room from the outdoor area where the white liquor tank was located. The tank's implosion on May 26 pushed debris, including trucks, against the wall.
Assessing the aftermath
