Washington Attorney General's Office Granted Authority to Investigate Longview Paper Mill Disaster

The Washington State Attorney General's Office has been granted concurrent jurisdiction to investigate potential criminal activity related to the fatal industrial accident at Nippon Dynawave Packaging's paper mill in Longview.

The authority was granted by the Cowlitz County Prosecuting Attorney, allowing the Attorney General's Office to investigate potential violations of state law and initiate any prosecutions arising from the investigation.

The Attorney General's Office stated that it is not alleging or presuming that wrongdoing or criminal activity contributed to the May 26 disaster. The office said it is beginning a comprehensive examination of potential violations associated with the incident.

Attorney General Nick Brown said the office has specialized expertise and resources to assist local law enforcement with complex investigations.

The accident occurred on May 26 when a tank containing a chemical used in paper production ruptured, releasing more than 500,000 gallons of highly caustic liquid. The incident resulted in the deaths of 11 workers and injuries to several others.

According to the Attorney General's Office, it offered assistance to the Cowlitz County Prosecuting Attorney due to the scale of the incident and its consequences. Cowlitz County Prosecuting Attorney Ryan Jurvakainen accepted the offer and granted the office concurrent investigative authority.

The Attorney General's Office noted that under Washington state law, it may undertake criminal prosecutions only at the request of a county prosecuting attorney or the Governor. The investigation will proceed alongside other ongoing inquiries into the cause of the disaster.