Longview, Washington — From his living room window, Washington State Sen. Jeff Wilson can see the paper mill where it stands Chemical tank rupture This week in Longview, killing 11 people. He worked there as the owner of an environmental cleanup company, and when he heard the sirens, he called his son, who works at the larger industrial site, to make sure he was safe.
“I personally have been in and near that tank many times,” said Wilson, who has lived in Longview for 56 years. “I can assure you that we all know someone out there…the victims are our friends and neighbors.”
The tank, which contained more than 500,000 gallons (1.9 million liters) of a mixture used to crush wood to make paper, collapsed Tuesday morning at Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. The rupture expelled a deluge of caustic chemicals powerful enough to overturn pickup trucks and damage buildings at the site.
the Chemical disasterone of the deadliest workplace accidents in the United States in recent decades, struck at the heart of a community where generations of families had worked in local mills. Longview itself was founded by a lumber baron to support the first mills established there, and over the course of its nearly century-long history, residents’ lives became intertwined with the lumber and paper industries.
Amid the immediate concern about supporting grieving families, there is also concern about what the accident could mean for the future of the plant: It provides vital jobs in an industry that once fueled the forested region but has dwindled in recent decades.
The plant’s parent company, Tokyo-based Nippon Paper Group, said in a statement that it was assessing the impact of the accident on its financial performance.
“Last night at the vigil, the people who work in the mills told me that they are proud of their jobs and they are proud of their work, and they don’t want to lose it,” U.S. Rep. Mary Glusenkamp Perez, whose district includes Longview, told reporters on Wednesday.
Likewise, residents who spoke with the AP highlighted how important these jobs are to the city.
“If you’re a waitress, a grocery store worker, a teacher, a teaching assistant like I have been for 30 years — every walk of life here knows someone and is related to someone from these mills,” Cindy Stebritz said at the antique store where she volunteers.
Stebritz said her husband’s parents met while working for the lumber company owned by city founder Robert A. Long.
“Those mills are the backbone of this city,” Stebritz added. “You feel like you’ve lost part of your family.”
The Longview Industrial Park is located along the Columbia River and hosts lumber, paper, and chemical companies. Many residents of the city of about 40,000 can see the utilities or steam emanating from boilers from their homes, or smell the smell of sulfur emanating from the pulp and paper industry.
The history of the city’s mill is also imprinted on the city centre, with RA Long Square serving as a central landmark and gathering place, including a vigil held after the disaster. A park around a man-made lake, another Long project, features an array of green spaces where pedestrians enjoy walking paths or nearby tree-lined streets.
Authorities said the cause of the tank’s collapse is still under investigation. The factory, which dates back to 1953 and employs about 1,000 people, makes materials for napkins, printing paper, cups, plates, cardboard and other goods.
According to fundraising campaigns organized for the families of the victims. Those who lost their lives They include the grandfather who was always willing to help anyone; and two brothers, one of whom was the sole breadwinner for his partner and three children; A husband left behind two children and a wife with a child on the way.
Brianna Bisio, a server at the downtown Mill City Grill, said her father has worked at the mill for more than 30 years. She described being frightened Tuesday morning when her brother, who works at the nearby lumber mill, told her he couldn’t catch him.
“I didn’t know if I had lost my father or not,” said Bisio, whose husband also works in a paper mill. “I drove to my dad’s house and knocked on his door until he woke up. He had just gotten off his 5 a.m. shift.”
At the nearby Country Folks Deli, longtime server Gayle Leavitt said her in-laws also worked at the plant for decades. “That’s how this town has survived,” she added.
Officials representing the area emphasized the pride residents feel in the mills and the economic importance of their well-paying jobs in a region where other areas have been hit hard by the decline of the timber industry.
“This is a place where real people make real things. This is not the virtual world,” State Rep. Jim Walsh said at a news conference at the factory Tuesday. “Real things and real industry always carry risks. But our job is to ensure that such risks are well managed and controlled to the extent they can be controlled.”
Stebritz, the antique store volunteer, said she hopes authorities find out the cause “so it never happens again.”
“If anything happens as a result of this, I hope we can save lives,” she said, crying as she thought of the children who lost their parents.
“This city is a family,” she added. “It’s one big family.” “But we will make it through. We are strong. We have a lot of love.”