A “Not Fit” Tank Failed 10 Months Later: When a Mill Can’t Stop, Buyers Start Splitting Supply
A case that couldn’t be halted even after a severe warning will push paper and packaging procurement to audit one capability: the ability to stop. How far ahead can printers design and pre-approve alternate grades?
At a pulp operation in Longview, Washington, a white liquor tank collapsed. About 900,000 gallons of hot, highly caustic liquid were released from a tank with roughly 1.2 million gallons of capacity, killing 11 people and severely injuring three. What stands out is that roughly 10 months before the accident, an external inspection issued a warning that effectively said the tank was “not fit” for continued use—yet no repairs or internal inspection were carried out.
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Translated from Japanese by AI. The Japanese original is authoritative.
A roughly 1.2 million-gallon atmospheric tank stands inside the plant as a huge buffer. Large-volume tanks are generally designed to absorb process swings—to give you safety margin. But Nippon Dynawave Packaging (NDP)’s Longview mill saw its white liquor tank, “G Tank,” fail catastrophically, releasing about 900,000 gallons of white liquor.…
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