Massive Longview paperboard plant the size of 3 Disneylands rocked by deadly implosion, chemical spill

A massive pulp-and-paper mill in Longview that produces billions of milk cartons, juice containers, and paper packaging products each year is at the center of what local leaders are calling one of the worst industrial disasters in the city’s history.

The Nippon Dynawave Packaging plant spans roughly 285 acres along the Columbia River, large enough to fit about three Disneyland parks inside the industrial complex. The facility converts wood chips into pulp and paperboard used to make everyday products, including milk and juice cartons, paper cups, food containers, tissue paper, printer paper, and wrapping paper.

2 dead, 9 missing after massive tank implosion in Longview

A vigil was held Tuesday night in downtown Longview for nine workers still missing and one worker confirmed dead following a massive tank implosion at the plant. A second person died, but authorities have not confirmed if that person was a worker at the mill.

Photos reportedly taken near the center of the implosion showed crushed and overturned vehicles and what appeared to be a collapsed industrial storage tank.

Investigators said the tank contained “white liquor,” a highly corrosive chemical mixture used in the pulping process to break down wood chips into paper fibers.

Officials estimate more than 800,000 gallons of the chemical may have leaked during the incident, which is enough liquid to cover a football field nearly two feet deep.

“When anything happens down at the mills, we all know somebody affected,” Spencer Boudreau, organizer and former mayor of Longview, explained to KIRO 7. “You know, this is probably the worst job site disaster we’ve had here ever.”

Records reveal a pattern of workplace safety concerns at the plant

Records show the Tokyo-based company that owns the Longview facility has been cited four times for workplace safety violations between 2019 and 2025.

Those violations included allegations involving inadequate fall protection, failing to require face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic, and an incident in which a worker suffered a finger amputation.

Washington’s Department of Labor & Industries has also opened two investigations involving the company in recent years.

One investigation was launched two months ago after an anonymous complaint involving a valve on a tank containing ammonia. Another complaint involved a reportedly failed drain that allegedly created a sinkhole, according to L&I records.

Authorities continue searching for the missing workers as investigators work to determine what caused the implosion and whether additional safety violations contributed to the disaster.

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