Washington Attorney General joins Nippon Dynawave paper mill disaster investigation

The Washington State Attorney General's Office has been granted concurrent authority to investigate the fatal incident at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging paper mill in Longview, following approval from the Cowlitz County Prosecuting Attorney.

The announcement follows the industrial accident on 26 May, when a tank containing a chemical used in paper production ruptured at the facility, releasing more than 500,000 gallons of highly caustic liquid. Eleven workers lost their lives and several others were injured.

According to the Attorney General's Office, the investigation is at an early stage and will examine whether any potential violations of state law may have contributed to the incident. The office emphasised that it is not alleging or presuming any criminal wrongdoing at this stage and said the investigation will involve a thorough examination of the circumstances surrounding the disaster.

Our office has unique expertise and resources, and we are ready to answer the call from local law enforcement when they need our assistance in complex cases. Washington deserves a thorough investigation to make sure a tragedy like this never happens again.

Attorney General Nick Brown.

Under Washington state law, the Attorney General's Office can only undertake criminal prosecutions at the request of a county prosecuting attorney or the Governor. Following the incident, the office offered its assistance to the Cowlitz County Prosecutor's Office, with Prosecuting Attorney Ryan Jurvakainen subsequently granting concurrent authority for the investigation.

The Attorney General's Office said it has experience handling complex industrial and environmental investigations and will support efforts to determine whether any legal violations occurred.

No further information has been released, with the investigation continuing.