Possible hazmat incident at Longview’s Nippon Dynawave hospitalizes 1
Jul 1, 2026, 1:32 PM | Updated: 3:02 pm
A photo of the exterior of the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company. (Photo: Corwin Haeck, KIRO Newsradio)
(Photo: Corwin Haeck, KIRO Newsradio)
A possible hazmat incident at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company in Longview hospitalized one person Wednesday, triggering an emergency response at the same plant where a deadly tank rupture killed 11 people in May.
At approximately 9:53 a.m., the Longview Fire Department (LFD) and Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue received reports of the incident at 3401 Industrial Way, LFD announced.
One patient was transported to St. John’s Hospital in an unknown condition.
Early reports suggested a possible tote spill, but crews found no chemical hazard
Initial information was unclear whether the situation had been caused by a medical issue or a chemical exposure. LFD noted that it appeared there may have been a tote spill.
Fire crews immediately responded to the scene and assessed the area to ensure its safety.
After a thorough investigation into the incident, LFD did not find a chemical spill and confirmed the environment was safe.
“Patient care was prioritized throughout our response, and the situation was thoroughly evaluated and resolved safely,” LFD stated.
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Same plant saw one of the region’s worst job-site disasters just weeks before
On May 26, a tank ruptured at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company, causing hundreds of thousands of gallons of dangerous chemicals to spill.
As a result of the rupture, 11 people died, with 10 of the victims suffering alkaline chemical burns, and other injuries included blunt force injury and asphyxia due to aspiration of a foreign object. All injuries were deemed to be accidental.
“When anything happens at the mills, we all know someone affected,” Spencer Boudreau, former Longview mayor, previously told KIRO 7. “This is probably the worst job site disaster we have had here, ever.”
Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue Chief Scott Goldstein originally reported that the impacted vat was an 80,000-gallon tank, roughly 60% full of a highly caustic chemical called white liquor. However, officials updated that number, now stating the tank held approximately 900,000 gallons of white liquor.
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