Officials say contamination entered Columbia River after explosion, 2 deaths confirmed

Added: 2026-05-31

[00:00:01]Good afternoon. I'm Scott Goldstein.

[00:00:03]S C O T T G O L D S T E I N Fire Chief with Cowlitz 2 Fire Rescue.

[00:00:12]I want to acknowledge again the tremendous support that we have received from our state and regional and federal partners, but most specifically the tremendous impact that this incident continues to have on the victims, the families, the co-workers.

[00:00:28]My responders, all the agencies responders, and the broader community.

[00:00:34]Understand that there are members working the site tirelessly that have lost co-workers, lost friends, and they remain dedicated to focusing on our recovery efforts.

[00:00:48]I want to switch into an operational update.

[00:00:51]I want to outline that recovery efforts started this after our operations on Tuesday.

[00:00:58]We have declared this incident a transition from rescue to recovery as of this morning.

[00:01:06]We declared this incident a transition from rescue to recovery as of this morning.

[00:01:13]As I outlined yesterday evening, we had structural issues, safety concerns of some of the mechanical and industrial equipment on site.

[00:01:22]While we were talking to you yesterday afternoon, assessments were ongoing, additional information was provided that started to address those concerns. That continued this morning. Drone operations were done.

[00:01:37]Additional information was determined, and we began operations today.

[00:01:43]I want to make it clear that based upon the entirety of the scene safety and the stability of our concerns is how we approach our incident here, not because of our staffing levels nor of the personal protective equipment and the availability of that equipment.

[00:02:02]I talked last evening about roughly 90,000 gallons of product remaining in that tank.

[00:02:08]Further observation this morning from plant officials identified that that amount is at the most of roughly 25,000 gallons.

[00:02:19]And that the tank was stable in its position and alleviated the predominance of our concerns of the tank failing.

[00:02:30]We still have contingency plans in place and resources coming to work on the tank itself if we need to change to stabilizing and removing the tank.

[00:02:42]Environmental monitoring representatives from the Washington State Department of Ecology, the United States Environmental Protection Agency remain on scene assisting public health, public utilities, and our diking districts on the issues of environmental monitoring and mitigation operations.

[00:03:03]Throughout the evening last night, both fixed and portable air monitoring and water quality sampling was occurring.

[00:03:14]pH or the acidity level of a liquid testing of water samples has confirmed contamination entered the Columbia River during the day yesterday.

[00:03:27]Additional evaluations are underway to better understand the scope and extent of that environmental impact.

[00:03:39]At this time, there are continued to be no identified negative health impacts to the city, to me, to the surrounding air quality or the city of Longview's drinking water system.

[00:03:55]The public is still asked to avoid the road network here as different agencies and the large equipment are continuing to come to the scene as well as the dike and and ditches around this area.

[00:04:11]Signage was put up by our environmental partners last night that provides signing on site.

[00:04:24]Now, I'm going to turn things over as with yesterday the battalion chief Matt Amos with the Longview Fire Department.

[00:04:33]>> Thank you, chief.

[00:04:35]Uh my name's Matt Amos, m a t t a m o s.

[00:04:39]I'm the Longview Fire Battalion Chief on site. Um recovery operations recovery efforts began earlier today and they'll continue to be slow, methodical, and deliberate.

[00:04:51]The priority is ensuring responder safety while treating every victim with the greatest dignity, care, and respect as possible.

[00:05:00]As individuals are recovered from the site, they'll undergo decontamination before being transported to the county coroner's office for ident- ification and family noti- fication.

[00:05:15]The coroner's office will release names and provide additional family information only after all individuals have been recovered, properly identified, and family notifications are complete.

[00:05:28]For the victim update, as of this afternoon, nine individuals remain unrecovered.

[00:05:34]Seven employees remain hospitalized with injuries. The firefighter that was injured during response, um has been released from the hospital and has follow-up appointments uh uh through the following days.

[00:05:47]Uh we can also confirm that one individual transported from the scene on Tuesday uh succumbed from their injuries, uh bringing the total number of confirmed fatalities uh to two of those transported.

[00:06:02]Uh operational conditions, it still remains active and it's extremely hazardous um uh in the recovery environment.

[00:06:10]Recovery operations will continue as the conditions safely allow.

[00:06:15]It continues to be incredibly difficult for us on the incident and everybody that's involved.

[00:06:20]We appreciate the professionalism and of the responders working this operation and the patience and support everyone has shown.