Longview Chemical Disaster: Tank Flagged 'Unfit for Service' Months Before Deadly Blast

The air in Longview, Washington, still hangs heavy with the memory of May 26, 2026. That was the day a colossal chemical tank at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company paper mill catastrophically failed, unleashing a torrent of dangerous "white liquor" and claiming the lives of eleven workers, injuring many more, including a firefighter. It was an unimaginable tragedy. Now, an interim report from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has unveiled a deeply troubling detail, one that adds a sharp sting of anguish to an already painful event: inspectors had, in no uncertain terms, declared that very tank "not fit for continued service" a full ten months before its deadly collapse.

Imagine receiving a warning that carries a "Priority 1" designation, advising "Not fit for continued service unless corrected," complete with a "high likelihood/consequence of failure." That’s exactly what the inspection contractor, Applied Technical Services LLC, presented to Nippon Dynawave in July 2025. Their external assessment, conducted almost a year prior to the disaster, found alarming "significant thinning" in the lower sections of the massive tank, with measurements falling well below the minimum safe thickness. They didn't just point out a problem; they urged immediate internal inspection to gauge the full extent of the damage, even suggesting a complete replacement of the tank's entire lower shell course might be necessary. It was a clear, unambiguous alarm bell ringing.

And yet, despite these stark, critical findings, the unthinkable happened: nothing. According to the CSB, Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company simply failed to act. There were no internal inspections to delve deeper, no repairs to address the gaping safety deficiencies, no removal of the compromised tank from operation, not even a reduction in its service capacity. Further external inspections in October 2025 and February 2026 by the same contractor merely reconfirmed the issue, noting "large portions of the tank remained thinner than the calculated minimum safe wall thickness." It just makes you wonder, what more could an inspector possibly say to convey the urgency?

The clock ticked, and the danger mounted, culminating in that horrific morning of May 26th. The CSB's report paints a picture of escalating risk. Just hours before the rupture, a digestor vessel, which usually receives the white liquor, was taken offline for repairs. This meant the compromised tank should have stopped sending out its contents. But crucially, white liquor continued to flow into the tank. By approximately 6:20 a.m., it was nearing full capacity – a pressure cooker building towards disaster. Less than an hour later, it gave way, unleashing approximately 900,000 gallons of corrosive liquid, which, devastatingly, is used to break down wood pulp but can cause severe burns to human flesh.

The chaos didn't end with the tank's failure. In a harrowing detail that underscores the desperate situation, the company's internal radio call for a medical emergency response team failed to specify that a chemical had been released. Tragically, a team member, unaware of the danger, waded into the white liquor, mistakenly believing it was water, and sustained serious injuries. The human toll, as we know, was immense. Eleven lives were lost, including brothers Tyler and Bradley Covington, whose family, through their lawyer Kyle Findley, has called these new findings "alarming" and vowed to pursue "accountability and justice."

The revelations have, understandably, sparked outrage and calls for answers. The Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers described the CSB's findings as "deeply troubling," raising "urgent questions about how technical findings and recommendations concerning the tank were communicated, evaluated and incorporated into decisions about its continued operation." Democratic U.S. Senator Patty Murray echoed the community's demand for transparency, stating simply, yet powerfully, that "every worker has the right to come home safely at the end of the day." Even CSB Chairperson Steve Owens expressed "great concern that the tank was not promptly removed from service or properly repaired after the clear findings in the inspection report."

And if that weren't enough, just the week prior to this report's release, the Washington Department of Ecology hit Nippon Dynawave with a notice of 35 environmental violations. It paints a picture, perhaps, of broader issues at the facility. For its part, Nippon Dynawave spokesperson Sam Jefferies reiterated the company's commitment to supporting affected families and employees, and fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation, declining specific comment on the interim findings. However, as the CSB’s investigation continues, leading to its final report, one thing is abundantly clear: the community of Longview, and indeed, workers everywhere, deserve to know how such clear warnings could be so tragically overlooked. This isn't just about a tank; it's about trust, responsibility, and the fundamental right to safety in the workplace.