An implosion at a Washington State paper facility killed 11 people and injured several others. Federal investigators now say the company had been warned twice before that its facilities required significant repairs. File Photo courtesy Longview Fire Department/Facebook
Aug. 28 (UPI) -- The operator of a paper mill that imploded in Washington, killing 11 people, had been warned twice by inspectors that its facilities required significant repairs, federal investigators said Friday.
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board said an inspection conducted in July 2025 indicated the tank that imploded was "not fit for continued service" unless it was repaired.
The warning came 10 months before the implosion of the 900,000-gallon tank at Nippon Dynawave Packaging Facility in Longview, Wash., on May 26.
Then in February, inspectors returned to the facility and repeated their warning.
