Washington chemical tank was called unfit for service before deadly failure, investigators find
- A chemical tank at a Washington state paper mill failed on May 26, 2026, killing 11 workers in one of the deadliest U.S. workplace disasters in recent decades.
- An inspection contractor found the tank at Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company 'not fit for continued service' in July 2025, 10 months before the failure.
- The contractor identified significant thinning below minimum safe thickness in the tank's lower regions and made recommendations for internal inspections and shell repairs.
- The company did not implement any of the contractor's recommendations between July 2025 and May 2026, and did not remove the tank from operation or reduce its service capacity.
- The tank failure released approximately 900,000 gallons of white liquor, a caustic liquid used in paper production, causing severe damage and injuries.
A chemical tank at Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company's paper mill in Longview, Washington failed on May 26, 2026, releasing approximately 900,000 gallons of white liquor—a caustic liquid used in paper production—and killing 11 workers. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board's investigation, released Friday, found that an inspection contractor had declared the tank "not fit for continued service" in July 2025, 10 months before the catastrophic failure.
The contractor's inspection identified significant thinning below minimum safe thickness in the lower regions of the tank and issued Priority 1 recommendations for internal inspections and shell repairs. Subsequent inspections in October 2025 and February 2026 confirmed that large portions of the tank remained thinner than the calculated minimum safe wall thickness. Despite these clear findings, the company did not implement any corrective measures, remove the tank from operation, or reduce its service capacity during this period.
The Chemical Safety Board's Chairperson Steve Owens expressed concern that the tank was not promptly removed from service or properly repaired after the inspection findings. The company stated it is cooperating with the ongoing investigation and focusing on supporting affected families and employees. Labor representatives and the family of two workers killed have called for accountability and a complete accounting of how safety recommendations were communicated and evaluated.
调查发现华盛顿州化学储罐在致命故障前被判定不适合继续使用
位于华盛顿州朗维尤的日本动力波浪包装公司纸浆厂的一个化学储罐于2026年5月26日发生故障，释放了约90万加仑的白液（纸浆生产中使用的腐蚀性液体），造成11名工人死亡。美国化学安全委员会周五发布的调查报告发现，一家检验承包商在2025年7月曾宣布该储罐"不适合继续使用"，比灾难性故障早10个月。
承包商的检验发现储罐下部区域的厚度明显低于最小安全厚度，并发出了优先级1的内部检查和外壳维修建议。随后在2025年10月和2026年2月进行的检查确认，储罐的大部分区域厚度仍低于计算的最小安全壁厚。尽管有这些明确的发现，该公司在此期间未实施任何纠正措施、未停止储罐运行，也未降低其服务能力。
化学安全委员会主席史蒂夫·欧文斯表示担忧，在检验发现后，储罐未被及时停止使用或妥善维修。该公司表示正在配合正在进行的调查，并专注于支持受影响的家庭和员工。劳工代表和两名遇难工人的家属呼吁追究责任，并要求全面说明安全建议如何被沟通、评估和执行的过程。