Crews work to keep drinking water safe after deadly chemical tank rupture at Longview mill

LONGVIEW, Wash. (KATU) — After a deadly chemical tank rupture at Longview, Washington’s Nippon Dynawave facility on Tuesday, environmental groups are working to protect drinking water sources for those living in the town.

Officials said Wednesday at least two people are confirmed dead in the blast, and another nine people are missing.

Longview City Officials issued a press release Thursday morning, reassuring residents that the city’s water was safe.

“Our water treatment and delivery systems are specifically designed with multiple layers of protection and continuous monitoring,” said Public Works Director Chris Collins. “The drinking water being delivered to homes and businesses today is the same safe water our community had last week.”

The water treatment plant would shut down automatically before contaminated water can enter the public water system, the Washington State Department of Ecology said.

The ruptured tank spilled up to 570,000 gallons of “white liquor” — a strong alkaline liquid made mostly of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide used in the papermaking process to dissolve wood chips.

Officials said the liquid made it into the nearby Columbia River and several nearby ditches, sloughs, and dikes, officials said.

PAST COVERAGE | Chemicals from Longview tank rupture leak into Columbia River

By using fire hydrants and water from the Cowlitz River, crews are working to dilute the contaminated spillage and prevent it from getting into the aquifer-based drinking water system for the town, which is home to about 40,000 people.

“We’re starting to flush that water away from what we call the well field – where all the wells are – so it is no longer sitting on top of that drinking water source,” said Brooks Stanfield, Federal Onsite Coordinator with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The chemical is being diluted to a level where it can be safely discharged into the Columbia River, officials said.

“We have some time, but we don’t want to waste any,” Stanfield said. “We don’t want to take any chances, we want to make sure that the public is assured that their drinking water is safe.”

The aquifers are located about 200 feet below the ground.

There are some health and safety concerns surrounding the ditches and dikes, and people are being asked to stay away from those areas while testing is taking place.

Some residents have brought up concerns about the impacts to wildlife in the area, with some sharing photos of dead fish in the sloughs near the facility.

“Environmental experts indicate some fish impacts would be expected due to elevated pH levels associated with the released material,” state officials confirmed.

The EPA and Washington State Department of Ecology are coordinating a plan for any potential environmental impacts from the spill.

“As white liquor becomes diluted with water, it can create an odor through a process known as off-gassing,” state ecologists said. “While the smell may be noticeable in some locations, it is not considered toxic at the levels being detected in the community.”

The cause of the blast is still under investigation.