AP —
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. workplace disasters in recent decades, according to a federal report released Friday.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board’s update about the May 26 failure in Longview, which expelled enough caustic liquid to blow out building walls, is part of an ongoing investigation. The federal agency said it is still determining the cause of the failure.
The board found that the contractor provided Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company with recommendations for internal inspections and shell repairs, but the company did none between a July 2025 inspection and the May 2026 failure.
An email seeking comment was sent to Nippon Dynawave. A person who answered the phone at Nippon’s plant in Longview declined to comment, and a message was left seeking comment.
