Daijiworld Media Network – Washington
Washington, May 29: Authorities in Washington state have recovered the bodies of six more people from the site of a deadly chemical tank implosion and rupture at a paper mill in Longview, taking the death toll in the industrial disaster to 11.
Officials said recovery operations were continuing on Thursday as efforts also intensified to dilute contaminated water caused by the massive chemical spill following the accident.
According to Longview Fire Chief Brad Hannig, the remains of three victims were still yet to be recovered from the site.
“Recovery efforts continue. The priority is ensuring responder safety while treating every victim with the greatest dignity, care and respect,” Hannig told reporters during a news conference.
Officials stated that the recovered remains are being decontaminated before being sent to the Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office for identification.
The explosion occurred on Tuesday morning at the Nippon Dynawave paper mill when a large storage tank designed to hold nearly 900,000 gallons of hazardous “white liquor” imploded during a shift change around 7:15 am.
Authorities said the tank was approximately 60 per cent full at the time of the accident.
Longview Fire Battalion Chief Matt Amos said the six recently recovered bodies were found in a workers’ assembly area where employees typically gathered before beginning their shifts.
“It was in an area they would congregate in the mornings, where they would assemble and find out their assignments,” Amos said.
The tank reportedly contained hazardous chemicals including sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfide and disodium carbonate, commonly used in the paper-pulping process.
Following the rupture, a large volume of chemicals mixed with firefighting water spilled into nearby drainage ditches, raising concerns over possible environmental contamination.
Officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stated that contaminated high-pH water had entered a ditch system located above an aquifer and well field supplying drinking water to Longview city.
However, city authorities assured residents that the drinking water remained safe.
“Longview’s water is safe. There is no cause for concern,” said Public Works Director Chris Collins, adding that contaminated water had been diverted away from critical wellhead areas.
Authorities explained that the city’s aquifers are located nearly 200 feet underground and that the water treatment system is equipped with automatic shutdown mechanisms to prevent contamination.
To reduce environmental impact, officials have begun pumping fresh water from the nearby Cowlitz River into the affected drainage system to dilute the chemicals and push contaminated water away from drinking water sources.
EPA on-scene coordinator Brooks Stanfield said the diluted water would eventually be discharged into the Columbia River only after pH levels return to safe limits.
“The latest measurements were below the threshold pH level of 9,” Stanfield said.
Officials also confirmed that the Columbia River currently remains safe for fishing and recreational activities.
Residents have nevertheless been warned to stay away from affected ditches and dike systems across Longview, where some areas still show elevated pH levels.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson described the incident as potentially the deadliest industrial accident in the state’s modern history.