Three months after a tank rupture claimed the lives of 11 workers at the Nippon Dynawave facility in Longview, the Washington State Department of Ecology has identified 35 environmental violations at the site.
A significant number of the violations stemmed from the aftermath of the tank collapse, which unleashed 900,000 gallons of highly caustic white liquor that inundated the industrial property, according to a news release issued by Ecology on Wednesday.
“The liquid reached storm drains and the company’s sanitary wastewater treatment system, with some bypassing treatment before discharging to the Columbia River,” officials stated. “Larger volumes reached a nearby ditch before workers were able to close an outfall, leading to widespread fish die-offs and the city posting signs warning local residents to stay away. Impacts continued for up to eight days.”
Additional violations arose from inadequate training under dangerous waste regulations.
Longview plant faces up to $10,000 per violation per day
Beyond enforcing the violations, Ecology is working to recoup the state’s expenses tied to the emergency response.
“This event was devastating for the Longview community, and the release of chemicals reached nearby waterways and the Columbia River,” Casey Sixkiller, Ecology’s director, stated. “Issuing these environmental violations is an initial step toward accounting for the impacts of this tragedy.”
Nippon Dynawave has 30 days to respond or supply additional information to Ecology before any penalty is handed down. Ecology has the authority to levy fines of up to $10,000 per violation per day.
At the same time, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries and the federal Chemical Safety Board are also looking into the tank failure. The Washington Attorney General’s Office received authorization to probe any potential criminal activity that may have contributed to the tank’s failure.
Should those investigations uncover any further violations, Ecology could pursue additional enforcement action.
The tank rupture killed 11 employees and injured eight others, including one firefighter.