Nippon Dynawave Spill Update and FAQ

In the wake of the tragedy in Longview, we wanted to share information and resources on this developing situation.

By: Teryn Yazdani, Staff Attorney

On behalf of the team at Columbia Riverkeeper, we extend our deepest condolences to the families, friends, loved ones, first responders, and community members impacted by the Nippon Dynawave tragedy. 

On the morning of May 26, an 80,000 gallon storage tank at Nippon Dynawave Packaging in Longview, Washington, suffered a complete failure. Though the reason for the tank failure is unknown, it released a large quantity of white liquor—a caustic chemical used in papermaking—which consists mainly of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide. An unknown amount of the white liquor washed into the facility’s storm drains and into the system of ditches surrounding the mill. While some of the diluted chemical did make it into the Columbia River, levels in the mainstem Columbia and the Longview’s drinking water aquifer have so far been deemed safe. 

This tragedy resulted in 11 fatalities. Words cannot express the profound impact of this horrific loss of life. We continue to keep those who lost their lives, and those who are still recovering, in our thoughts.     

Columbia Riverkeeper has received numerous questions about the environmental impacts of this disaster. While a fuller picture of the impacts will be available in the coming weeks, we wanted to share information about some of the most pressing concerns. 

Water testing and air quality monitoring are ongoing. The Washington Department of Ecology is the lead agency for the incident, coordinating efforts and information among EPA, NOAA, tribes, and local emergency agencies.

For the most up-to-date publicly available information, please visit the Washington Department of Ecology’s spill response website.

The following information and FAQ was collected and compiled by the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRTIFC). Updated information from CRTIFC on this issue can be found here.

FAQ

• What is in the white liquor that spilled from the tank?
  • The main danger from white liquor is its extremely high pH of 13–14. (Water is neutral with a pH of 7.) Most of the volume of white liquor is sodium hydroxide (commonly known as lye), which is a compound of sodium, oxygen, and hydrogen. The other component, in a small percentage, is sodium sulfide, which is sodium and sulfur. 

• Did white liquor get into the Columbia River?
  • Yes, but in small amounts. The chemical was diluted while in the ditch/canal system, where pH levels reached about 11. The pH of the water that reached the Colulmbia never exceeded neutral range. The sulfide is another aquatic life concern. White liquor typically contains a few percent sodium sulfide. No detects of hydrogen sulfide in air were made at the site.

• Have any fish been killed by this accident?
  • Yes, but none in the Columbia River. So far, about 2,000 dead fish have been collected from the ditches and canals that surround the mill and connect to the Columbia River. These fish include carp, catfish, sunfish, bass, peamouth chub, bridgelip sucker, redside shiner, three tadpoles, and one hatchery-raised coho salmon.

• Will this spill affect salmon or the salmon run?
  • No. The salinity and pH of the contaminated water leaving the drainage system is similar to water in the estuary.

• Would salmon that swam through this area be safe to eat?
  • Yes. There are no metals or bioaccumulative compounds in white liquor.

Current status as of June 4 – 8:00 p.m.

• Environmental monitoring
  • After 10 days of stationary and mobile air quality monitoring with no harmful gases detected, community monitoring ended at 7 a.m. Thursday morning.
  • Monitoring will continue along the perimeter fence of Nippon Dynawave 24 hours a day and while contractors continue decontaminating the site. These monitors continue to record zero harmful gases from white liquor.
  • The process of flushing water through the dike and ditch system in Longview is now complete. This came after 72 hours of pH testing with no elevated levels, indicating the system is now clear of harmful chemical contamination from this incident. 
  • Fish in the dike and ditch system that died during the initial release may continue to appear as they decompose and float to the surface; this is normal. Residents can continue to report any wildlife concerns or observations by calling 1-800-22-BIRDS and leaving a detailed message.
  • Invasive vegetation along the shoreline that came in contact with contaminated water might visibly experience dieback (a slow progression of a plant dying) over the next few weeks. However, this won’t indicate new or ongoing contamination.
• Site cleanup status
  • Cleanup operations continue at the facility. Vacuum trucks with pumps are removing waste and liquid, and they will remain on-site for the foreseeable future.
  • All material is being disposed of at the on-site wastewater treatment plant. 
  • Workers are trying to minimize how often they move heavy equipment in and out of the site.
• Water safety
  • Despite the presence of dead fish in the ditch network, Longview’s drinking water remains safe. The city does not draw or use the water from these ditches for drinking water. 
  • Even though the concern for chemical contamination has passed, residents should continue following the Consolidated Diking Improvement District (CDID’s) guidance that was in place before the incident, and avoid swimming, fishing or engaging in other recreational activities in the sloughs, dikes and drainage ditches. Residents should also keep pets away from these areas.
• Fish and wildlife 
  • Crews collected 258 deceased fish today from accessible areas of the ditch systems. These systems are next to the incident response area and are located in west Longview, bringing the total number of fish recovered during the response to 2,902. Our collection efforts focused on accessible areas of the ditch system, including locations where fish accumulated in the waterways.
  • Deceased fish continue to be visible within the ditch system. Species we collected include common carp, catfish, sunfish, bass, peamouth chub, bridgelip sucker, northern pikeminnow, sculpin, and redside shiner. Crews collected two hatchery-raised salmon during the response. We are keeping both specimens for further analysis.
  • Out of an abundance of caution crews also collected a deceased mallard duck for tissue sampling.
  • The Columbia River remains open for fishing and recreation. 

Numerous local, regional, state, and federal agencies continue working together alongside facility personnel and contractors on the Nippon Dynawave industrial incident. 

Current status as of June 1

• White liquor is no longer reaching the ditch/canal system surrounding the mill, or moving through the ditches into the Columbia River. All pH levels measured in the ditch network have now returned to normal ranges. Water reaching  Columbia has been consistently within normal pH range throughout the incident.
• Cleanup operations using vacuum truck sweepers are in progress at the facility.
• A contractor has been hired to develop a cleanup and sampling and monitoring plan. Sulfur chemistry will be monitored in the soil and groundwater. A decision on whether to remove soil from the ditch/canal has not been made and will depend on findings from chemical analysis.

This blog post will be periodically updated as new information arises.