Prayer vigil Tuesday evening for disaster victims in Longview’s R.A. Long Park.

OLYMPIA – A deadly spill in Longview that killed at least two people and injured others calls for a comprehensive and transparent state investigation with oversight from the Legislature, says Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview.

Responders are completing their survey of damage at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. plant on the Longview waterfront. Supports for a 900,000 gallon chemical holding tank collapsed early Tuesday morning, sending a wave of caustic “white liquor” across a portion of the west end of the grounds. At least nine people remain unaccounted for and are presumed to have perished, meaning the death toll could rise as high as eleven.

White liquor is used in the production of kraft paper. The corrosive liquid breaks down wood so that pulp can be extracted.

“We have never seen an industrial accident this deadly in Longview history, and possibly in the state, and I can tell you, we’re going to want answers,” Wilson said. “We wish the Department of Labor and Industries godspeed in getting to the bottom of it. Their investigation needs to be thorough, prompt and transparent, and the results need to be presented to the Legislature for our consideration. If there is anything we in the Legislature can do to ensure this never happens again, we need to know about it.”

Wilson spent much of his working career working as a cleanup-and-compliance contractor, including 20 years as prime responder at the Nippon Dynawave plant. The plant, opened in 1953, was owned by The Weyerhauser Co. prior to its sale to the Nippon Paper Co. in 2016. Wilson’s son works at Nippon’s Longview NORPAC facility.

“Longview has always been a mill town,” Wilson said. “If you don’t work at the mill, the chances are you know someone who does. We are a tight-knit community and this tragedy hits all of us. It’s going to take some time for us to heal.”

Wilson and other elected officials attended a briefing from emergency responders Tuesday evening, then joined with members of the public for a prayer vigil in R.A. Long Park. More than 100 residents and local officials gathered to honor victims and support families affected by the disaster. Wilson said the vigil demonstrated the way the community comes together in times of hardship and disaster.