$77,800: Nippon Dynawave fined for April pulp spill
Washington regulators issued the penalty after a worker fell into a hole created by 145-degree liquid.
By Nathaniel Hayes ·
The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries assessed a $77,800 fine against the Nippon Dynawave paper mill in Longview. The penalty stems from an April 2026 incident that occurred one month before a fatal tank explosion at the facility.
During the April event, a tank valve was left open by mistake. Pulp at 145 degrees spilled onto the ground and melted a four-foot hole in the asphalt. A worker waded through three feet of the hot liquid to close the valve. After stopping the flow, the worker stepped back and fell into the opening.
Regulators stated the worker came dangerously close to being engulfed by the liquid. L&I cited the company for failing to protect employees from exposure to the hot material and the risk of being overwhelmed. The mill also failed to include the paper machine pulp system in its hazardous materials piping safety program.
Cari Anderson, deputy assistant director for L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, addressed the response to the spill. “The problem wasn’t that the overspill happened, it’s that Nippon management chose to send people into the pulp to deal with it,” Anderson said.
This investigation was one of two inspections already open when a white liquor tank failed on May 26. That explosion killed 11 workers. L&I continues its review of the May 26 incident.
The fine reflects violations found during the April inspection. The agency issued the penalty after completing its review of the pulp spill and the company's safety protocols.
