LONGVIEW, Wash. — Multiple people were hurt and killed after a “major chemical explosion” at a plant in Longview, according to the city’s fire department.
The Longview Fire Department (LFD) said crews are responding to a hazardous materials incident after an implosion involving a vat of white liquor chemical treatment product at the Nippon Dynawave facility at 7:18 a.m. Tuesday.
Officials say there is no immediate threat to the public, but residents were told to stay away from Industrial Way and the surrounding area while emergency crews work.
According to the Washington State Department of Ecology, Nippon Dynawave is a Kraft pulp and paper mill and liquid packaging plant.
White liquor, the source of the implosion, is a strong alkaline liquid made mostly of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide. In the Kraft process, it is used to cook wood chips and turn them into pulp for papermaking by dissolving the substances that hold the wood fibers together. It is considered extremely dangerous and is highly corrosive.
Multiple people have critical chemical burns and other injuries, LFD said on its Facebook page. Ambulances transported them to PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center in Longview and PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver.
In an update posted at 11:16 a.m., the agencies said fatalities have been confirmed, but did not say how many.
Fire crews and a hazmat team are working with plant employees.
“With around 550 employees, the pulp and paper mill makes about 280,000 tons of bleached liquid packaging paperboard, and wetlap and slush pulp each year. The liquid packaging plant has about 450 employees,” the ecology department said on its page for the facility.
Along with the LFD, Cowlitz County firefighters and deputies, and other first responders are working the incident.
The response includes five fire engines and seven ambulances.
This story is developing.