Longview paper mill fined $77,800 after worker nearly engulfed in hot pulp

The Nippon Dynawave paper mill in Longview faces $77,800 in state fines after a worker waded through hot pulp to shut off a valve and fell into a hidden sinkhole.

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) announced the citation Thursday. The agency said the incident is unrelated to the May 26 tank rupture that killed 11 workers at the same mill.

Worker fell into a sinkhole

In March, a tank drain valve was left open by mistake, spilling pulp that was about 145 degrees onto the ground for roughly two hours, according to L&I. The spill was about 3 feet deep, and it ate a 4-foot-deep hole into the asphalt underneath.

The worker waded through the pulp and climbed onto piping to close the valve. When he stepped back down, he fell into the sinkhole.

Inspectors said he would have been completely engulfed in more than 7 feet of pulp if he hadn’t grabbed onto a pipe. He told inspectors that at one point he thought, “I’m not going to make it back.” He eventually got a foot onto the side of the hole and climbed out.

Managers said spills were common

Paper machine managers told L&I that spills like this one happen about once every couple of months, sometimes more often. They also said they knew workers had waded through pulp to open and close tank valves.

“The problem wasn’t that the overspill happened, it’s that Nippon management chose to send people into the pulp to deal with it,” said Cari Anderson, deputy assistant director for L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

Since the incident, managers have agreed to tell workers not to enter pulp spills, L&I said. They have also agreed to develop procedures and equipment for closing valves without putting workers in danger.

Company plans to appeal

Nippon Dynawave plans to appeal part of the citation, according to KGW.

“We take all workplace incidents very seriously,” the company said. “We conducted a full internal investigation of the March 2026 incident and took corrective action.”

Second citation unrelated to the deadly rupture

This is the second of two L&I investigations that were already open when the tank failed in May. In August, L&I fined the company $2,890 for failing to document safety plans and keep inspection records for an ammonia tank used to treat wastewater.

L&I’s investigation into the tank rupture is still open. By law, the agency must issue its findings within 180 days of opening the investigation.

The tank released about 900,000 gallons of hot, caustic white liquor. Federal investigators found the company was told in July 2025 the tank was not fit for continued service, according to the U.S. Chemical Safety Board. The state Department of Ecology has separately found 35 environmental violations at the mill, and families of workers killed in the disaster have sued the company.

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