Washington State fines paper mill $77,800 after worker falls into hot pulp hole

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries has assessed a $77,800 fine against the Nippon Dynawave paper mill in Longview. The penalty stems from an incident in April 2026 that occurred one month before a deadly tank explosion at the same facility.

According to L&I, a tank valve was accidentally left open, releasing pulp at approximately 145 degrees Fahrenheit. The hot liquid spilled onto the ground and melted a four-foot hole in the asphalt surface below. A worker walked through the three-foot-deep pulp to close the valve. After stopping the flow, the employee stepped back onto the ground and fell into the resulting hole.

L&I determined the worker was at risk of being engulfed by the hot material. The agency stated the company failed to protect workers from exposure to extremely hot material and the danger of being overwhelmed by it. The mill was also cited for not including the paper machine pulp system in its hazardous materials piping safety program.

Cari Anderson, deputy assistant director for L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, noted that the core issue was management’s decision to send personnel into the pulp. “The problem wasn’t that the overspill happened, it’s that Nippon management chose to send people into the pulp to deal with it,” Anderson said.

This investigation was one of two already open when a white liquor tank failed on May 26. That explosion killed 11 workers. L&I continues its investigation into the May 26 incident.