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by KATU Staff
LONGVIEW, Wash. (KATU) — A second employee is confirmed to have died in the chemical implosion at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility in Longview Wash., on Tuesday.
Nine people are still unaccounted for, although the situation has changed from rescue to a recovery operation as of Wednesday morning, Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue Chief Scott Goldstein said during a press conference.
KATU News asked Chief Goldstein about how those people went missing. He said that they were in their workspaces when the blast happened, and that the rupture happened during a time when employees change shifts; some employees were in break rooms, others were going into work or leaving.
He also said it is unlikely that they survived.
“We're bracing ourselves for this being the deadliest industrial tragedy in modern Washington State history,” Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said. “When you have a tragedy of that scale, the impacts on individuals, on families, and on communities is profound.”
Officials also mentioned that a part of the Columbia River was contaminated and in nearby ditches.
READ MORE | Chemicals from Longview tank rupture leak into Columbia River
When asked about which parts are contaminated, the Cowlitz County Fire and Rescue chief said he did not have an answer.
However, a representative from the facility explained what they knew about the contamination.
"Our records show that our continuous monitoring for pH on our outfalls that go to the Columbia River showed spikes of high pH material at roughly the initial incident at 7:15 in the morning, and then approximately two or three hours later. There were two spikes of high pH material that went from our plant site to the Columbia River," Brian Wood, director pf support services for the Nippon packaging facility said.
Wood left the press conference early before KATU could ask questions.
KATU crews followed the representative in the hopes of asking him about alleged safety issues regarding the plant reported before the incident occurred.
A local firefighter stopped crews from following Wood into an administrative building.
Recovery efforts began Wednesday morning at the facility after safety officials determined conditions were stable enough to move forward.
On Tuesday, a firefighter was sent to the hospital due to hazardous conditions, but officials said around 7 p.m. on Tuesday night that they were later released from the hospital.
New observations also confirmed less white liquor remaining in the damaged tank. Goldstein said new estimates show 25,000 gallons leftover—down from the 90,000-gallon estimate announced on Tuesday.
“Recovery efforts began earlier [Wednesday] and they will continue to be slow, methodical and deliberate. The priority is ensuring responder safety while treating every victim with the greatest dignity, care and respect as possible. As individuals are recovered from the site they'll undergo decontamination before being transferred to the Cowlitz County Coroner for identification and family notification,” Longview Fire Battalion Chief Matt Amos said.
PAST COVERAGE | 1 confirmed dead, 9 others missing after chemical implosion at facility in SW Washington
In the latest update, officials confirmed two people were dead and seven employees remained hospitalized. A firefighter was also injured responding to this incident.
One dead employee was identified as Gilbert Bernal, according to ABC News. The second confirmed deceased individual has not yet been identified.
Authorities said the Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office will officially release the names and provide additional information once all victims and families have been notified.
The implosion happened Tuesday around 7:15 a.m. According to investigators, a large vat of white liquor imploded, causing severe injuries, chemical burns, and extensive damage to the Nippon facility.
White liquor is a corrosive chemical solution commonly used in paper and pulp processing.
Environmental monitoring and mitigation efforts continued Wednesday at the site. The Washington State Department of Ecology and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are assisting with air and water quality monitoring and overseeing operations related to potential environmental impacts, officials said.
READ MORE | Federal investigation opened into deadly Longview paper mill implosion
Contamination from the implosion has been confirmed by testing in the Columbia River, based on pH testing of the water. Testing is ongoing, and additional evaluations are looking into the scope and impact of that contamination.
As of the latest update on Wednesday, officials said there has been no identified impacts from this incident to the air or drinking water to Longview residents. The public is being asked to stay away from ditches and dikes in the city while water testing continues.
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) announced Wednesday that it has opened an investigation into the May 26 incident. Investigators are expected to arrive at the mill on Wednesday.
This is a developing story. Check back with KATU for updates throughout the day.
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