Nippon Dynawave President Matt Peerboom to Retire Five Months After Fatal Longview Mill Explosion

Matt Peerboom, president of Nippon Dynawave, is retiring five months after a chemical tank explosion at the company’s Longview paper mill killed 11 workers and injured eight others. The announcement was made by the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers (AWPPW).

Peerboom’s retirement comes as the company works toward restarting operations at the mill, where the incident occurred on May 26. According to Nippon Dynawave, Peerboom had originally planned to retire in 2026 but postponed his departure following the disaster.

AWPPW spokesperson Josh Estes said Peerboom’s retirement comes at an important stage in efforts to achieve a full restart of the Longview facility. The union acknowledged his involvement in discussions with workers and his commitment to the mill’s future during a difficult period for employees and the local community.

Estes also stressed that worker safety must remain central to decisions surrounding the restart. He said employees’ knowledge and experience would be essential to the process and that meaningful worker participation would help build confidence in the mill’s return to operations.

The union said it would continue working with Yusuke Mano and the company’s leadership to support the facility’s future through communication and collaboration.

Peerboom said employees had returned to the mill and that progress had been made toward resuming operations, making it the appropriate time to proceed with his retirement plans. He described his tenure at Nippon Dynawave as a privilege and thanked employees for their dedication.

Yusuke Mano, the company’s senior vice president of finance, will temporarily assume the president’s responsibilities.

The May 26 incident involved the implosion of a chemical tank at the Longview facility. The resulting spill also reached nearby waterways, including the Columbia River. The disaster has prompted investigations and wrongful death lawsuits against the company.

Nippon Dynawave has not provided a specific date for the mill’s full restart in the information released.