Dive Brief:
- A deadly incident occurred at Nippon Dynawave Packaging’s pulp and paper mill on Tuesday morning in Longview, Washington, where a chemical tank containing white liquor imploded. The site produces three-layer bleached paperboard, among other outputs.
- The Longview Fire Department and other emergency responders have been offering updates. One person is confirmed dead, nine people are unaccounted for, and there were nine confirmed injuries, as of the most recent update. Additional rescues are not expected, according to local news outlets.
- Japan-based parent company Nippon Paper confirmed in a notice Wednesday that a chemical tank at the facility collapsed, resulting in “multiple casualties,” and the cause of the accident is currently under investigation. “The impact of this accident on our financial performance, the environment, production, and shipments is currently being assessed,” the company said.
Dive Insight:
Nippon Dynawave Packaging is a U.S. subsidiary of Nippon Paper, formed in the 2016 acquisition of the Longview site from Seattle-based Weyerhaeuser in a $285 million cash deal. The liquid packaging plant had approximately 450 employees, with approximately 550 at the pulp and paper mill, according to Washington Department of Ecology records.
Nippon Dynawave Packaging produces 300,000 metric tons of premium paperboard for cartons and cups annually, which it sells under the Structure-Pak and Structure-Serv brand names, per its website. The facility also produces northern bleached softwood kraft, which is used for absorbent tissue products, wrapping paper and other items.
“We express our deepest condolences and offer our heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families. We also sincerely apologize for the immense concern and inconvenience this has caused to the local community, our business partners, and all related parties,” Nippon Paper wrote.
Multiple paper packaging facilities are concentrated in Washington, including Longview. Norpac operates a mill adjacent to Nippon. That facility was also once part of Weyerhaeuser, and is now being sold to International Paper.
The Washington Department of Ecology has been on site to monitor air and water quality, Gov. Bob Ferguson reported, and “the Department of Labor & Industries is ready to begin investigating once first responders finish their important work,” he said in a social media post late Tuesday.
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board announced a team of investigators will arrive at the site Wednesday as it opens an investigation. “Initial reports to the CSB indicate that the incident resulted in multiple fatalities and serious injuries,” the independent government agency reported.
The Nippon Dynawave Packaging site has a history of past environmental and safety violations, the Seattle Times reported.
Nippon Dynawave Packaging is a member of the American Forest & Paper Association. As part of AF&PA’s 2030 sustainability goals, the organization recommitted to “the aspirational goal of zero injuries” and implementing “an ongoing program to prevent serious injuries and fatalities (SIF) at all member company pulp and paper mills.”
According to the most recently available injury and illness data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2024 there were 2.5 recordable cases for U.S. pulp, paper and paperboard mills per 100 full-time equivalent workers. That’s slightly above the national average of 2.3.
There were six fatalities in the category in 2024, up from four in 2023.
Correction: A previous version of this story mischaracterized Nippon Dynawave Packaging’s participation with the Carton Council. The company is no longer an associate member of the group.
