Washington paper mill explosion kills 11 and looms over upcoming House race

At about 7:18 a.m. on a misty May morning, a white-liquor tank at Nippon Dynawave Packaging’s Longview paper mill exploded, killing 11 workers and shocking a community of roughly 38,000 that has long depended on the mill, shipping and logging. The blast, one of the state’s deadliest industrial accidents in nearly a century, sent shockwaves through families and the local economy. As memorials gave way to campaign events, the district’s high-profile House race between Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Republican John Braun has become intertwined with the community’s grief.

State Senator Jeff Wilson, who spent over two decades cleaning tanks at the same mill, praised the congresswoman’s presence and accountability during the federal response. The incident also brought attention to the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, whose budget was recently restored after a proposed cut. Neither campaign has made the explosion a central campaign theme, but the disaster underscores the economic anxieties shaping voters in the district.