LONGVIEW—One week after a massive chemical tank rupture at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging mill killed 11 workers in what Governor Bob Ferguson has called the deadliest industrial tragedy in modern Washington state history, all victims have been identified, and recovery efforts have shifted fully to investigation and long-term cleanup.
The Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office on Saturday released the names of the 11 mill employees who died when the roughly 900,000-gallon white-liquor tank imploded shortly after 7:15 a.m. on May 26 during a shift change. Eight others were injured, including seven workers and one firefighter. Some of the injured have been released from hospitals; at least three remained in care as of the latest updates.
The victims were:
- Gilbert Bernal, 52, of Kelso
- Tyler Covington, 29, of Castle Rock
- Brad Covington, 27, of Castle Rock
- Robert “Robb” Wilson, 48, of Clatskanie, Ore.
- Dale Miller, 54, of Portland
- Jared Ammons, 35, of Longview
- Braydon Finkas, 38, of Cathlamet
- Clinton “CJ” Doran, 26, of Kelso
- John Forsberg, 51, of Longview
- Norman Barlow, 58, of Vancouver
- Dillon Miller (age not released), who died after being transported to a hospital
Eight others were injured — seven mill workers with burns and inhalation injuries and one firefighter. Some have been released from area hospitals; at least two remained hospitalized as of late last week.
According to King 5 interviews, families described the men as fathers, husbands, brothers and dedicated workers who took pride in their roles at the sprawling kraft pulp and paper mill on the Columbia River. The Covington brothers worked side by side as electrical and instrumentation technicians. Ammons, an electrician, left behind a pregnant wife and two young children. Bernal, a 15-year veteran, was remembered by friends as a selfless grandfather who helped neighbors with farm work. Forsberg was known locally as a trivia champion and “wicked smart” regular at a Longview brewery. Barlow was the last victim publicly identified; friends called him a kind mentor with a quick wit.
GoFundMe campaigns have been established for nearly every victim’s family, raising thousands of dollars within days. Relatives described an overwhelming wave of prayers, meals, messages and financial help.
“”The kindness, prayers, messages, financial support, and encouragement from so many people have meant more to us than words can express,” one family said in a statement shared by KING 5.
Governor Ferguson, who visited the site and a community vigil within days of the disaster, ordered Washington and U.S. flags flown at half-staff at all state facilities beginning May 31 for one week.
“We’re bracing ourselves for this being the deadliest industrial tragedy in modern Washington state history,” he said at a May 27 news conference joined by local fire commanders and company representatives in Longview. “When you have a tragedy of that scale, the impacts on individuals, on families and on communities is profound.”
In a statement following the final identification of the fatalities, Gov. Ferguson added that his prayers remain with the families and that the state would continue supporting them “as long as it takes.”
“My prayers remain with the families of the 11 workers killed in Longview, and those injured,” Ferguson wrote to X. “I’m also thinking of the responders who, again and again, went into an extremely complex environment to ensure these families could begin to get the closure they deserve. Thank you to these heroes,”
Washington National Guard civil support teams, Homeland Response Force members and fatality search specialists also assisted with air monitoring, decontamination and recovery efforts.
The state Department of Labor & Industries is examining potential workplace safety violations and has up to 180 days to report findings. The independent U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board opened a federal probe on May 27 and deployed investigators to the site. Nippon Dynawave Packaging has pledged full cooperation with these investigations.
U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-WA03., who attended briefings, called for a “comprehensive, unbiased investigation” to restore trust and prevent future incidents.
Environmental response teams from the Washington Department of Ecology, the EPA and local agencies through containment actions have contained the bulk of the on-site spill. The tank was approximately two-thirds full at the time of the rupture, releasing an estimated 550,000 to 600,000 gallons of white liquor — a highly corrosive mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide used in pulp production.
Cleanup inside the mill continues with vacuum trucks pumping remaining waste to the on-site wastewater treatment plant. Ecology officials said most of the white liquor never left the facility grounds, and on-site treatment has been successful.
Some of the chemical entered the mill’s storm-drain system and reached nearby ditches in west Longview’s industrial area before being diverted through the Consolidated Diking Improvement District No. 1 system. Elevated pH levels have so far killed an estimated 2,450 fish — mostly common carp, catfish, bullhead and other species — collected from the ditches and sloughs, according to the Department of Ecology. Two hatchery-raised salmon were also recovered for testing.
More than 250 warning signs in English, Spanish and Chuukese were posted advising the public to avoid ditches and sloughs.
Department of Ecology did share that no fish or wildlife impacts were confirmed in the mainstem Columbia River. Water discharging to the river, it stated, was diluted to safe pH levels immediately after the incident, and the river remains open for fishing and recreation. Longview’s drinking water, drawn from protected aquifers 200 feet underground, was never at risk and is continuously monitored.
By June 2, pH levels throughout the ditch network had returned to normal. Emergency flushing operations using Cowlitz River water and fire hydrants were halted, though normal seasonal flushing continues. Air monitoring detected no harmful gases at any time; the only reported odor was a temporary rotten-egg smell from hydrogen sulfide off-gassing during dilution.
The mill, which employs about 1,000 people in a city of 38,000 residents, remains closed as recovery, investigation and decontamination work proceeds. Company officials said the focus remains on supporting affected families and ensuring the site is safe before any restart.
Author: Mario Lotmore
