News

Investigation begins, recovery concludes at site of Longview tank explosion

Investigation begins, recovery concludes at site of Longview tank explosion

Nippon Dynawave storage tank on May 27, 2026. Photo courtesy of Washington State Dept. of Ecology Photo: Contributed


LONGVIEW, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – An investigation is underway as the recovery efforts conclude following the deadly tank explosion in Longview.

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) has formally opened an investigation into the chemical tank that ruptured at the Nippon Dynawave paper mill. The tank had a 900,000-gallon capacity and was estimated to be about two-thirds full of white liquor at the time of the incident.

L&I will seek to determine what happened, decide whether it involved and workplace safety violations and attempt to prevent similar incidents from happening moving forward.

It comes as Longview officials announced in a press conference on Saturday, May 30, that the final victims have been recovered from the scene.

11 people were killed and several others were injured in the May 26 explosion, which has been described as the deadliest industrial disaster in modern state history.

Response crews have since collected over 2,000 dead fish from ditches near the Columbia River. But Washington State Dept. of Ecology said there’s no evidence that any contamination reached the river itself since the incident occurred.

According to Ecology, the cleanup at the site at the facility was ongoing as of Tuesday, June 2, as vacuum trucks with pumps will continue to remove waste and liquid for the foreseeable future.

Recent Headlines

12 hours ago in Sports

Tarik Skubal, the Cleveland Browns and other athletes credit a tiny new scope for faster recoveries

Several top pro athletes and their surgeons say a modern version of an old tool is shaving weeks off the recovery time for certain injuries. And some top doctors think this is only the beginning.

12 hours ago in Sports

Hurricanes’ top-line performers come through as Carolina moves within a win of claiming Stanley Cup

Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour spent weeks answering the same question about needing more goal-scoring pop from top-line forwards Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho.

1 day ago in Sports, Trending

World Cup begins with Mexico hosting South Africa in opening match

The largest World Cup in tournament history kicked off Thursday with co-host Mexico taking on South Africa in the opening match.

1 day ago in Sports

Serena Williams’ comeback at the Queen’s Club is over after injury to doubles partner

Serena Williams' much-hyped comeback to professional tennis at the Queen's Club lasted just one match. The 44-year-old Williams' doubles partner, 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko, was forced to withdraw from the draw on Thursday because of a knee injury she sustained in a singles match against Karolina Pliskova in the last 16 on Wednesday.

1 day ago in Sports, Trending

Knicks complete record rally from 29 points down and beat Spurs 107-106 for 3-1 NBA Finals lead

A record-breaking comeback, capped off by what could go down as a legendary play. The long road back to the top of the NBA is almost complete for the New York Knicks, and the step they took Wednesday night was unforgettable.