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Good morning, Northwest.

A chemical tank failure at a paper mill in Longview, Washington, killed at least one person and injured several others yesterday.

Officials said last night nine people were still unaccounted after the disaster.

We start today’s newsletter with the latest on the incident, which OPB will be following throughout the day. Stay with us on OPB Radio and OPB.org for updates.

Here’s your First Look at Wednesday’s news.

— Bradley W. Parks

Developing story

Corrosive chemicals hamper recovery efforts at Longview industrial site

At least nine people are still unaccounted for after a chemical tank ruptured at a Southwest Washington paper mill, killing at least one person and injuring nine others.

A 900,000-gallon tank holding white liquor, a corrosive compound used in the paper-making process, ruptured at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company in Longview, Washington, early yesterday morning.

As evening fell, rescue workers suspended recovery operations at the facility due to the ongoing threat of exposure to corrosive chemicals.

The tank’s structural instability creates a dangerous situation for emergency responders, officials said, in part because they estimate it still holds a potential 90,000 gallons of white liquor.

Community leaders were quick to add there was no danger to the city of 115,000 that sits along the Columbia River, but asked people to stay clear of dikes and ditches nearby due to possible contamination. (Erik Neumann, Troy Brynelson, Kyra Buckley, Amelia Templeton, Courtney Sherwood and Conrad Wilson)

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3 things to know

• Hundreds of community members and local officials gathered for a vigil in Longview after a chemical tank rupture at a paper mill killed one person, injured nine others and left nine more missing. (Troy Brynelson)
• Following revelations that farmworker labor advocate Cesar Chavez had allegedly sexually abused women and girls, Portland city councilors are considering a new name for the street named after him: Campesinos Boulevard. Meaning “farmers” or “farmworkers,” the name would honor Latino farmworkers who played an integral role in labor rights. (Alex Zielinski)
• At a time when Oregon’s job landscape may seem grim, the pathway to careers for skilled workers is not as clear as it could be. According to the 2026 Oregon Talent Assessment, state agencies, industries and educational institutions need to better coordinate their workforce-building strategies with each other. (Tiffany Camhi)

Northwest headlines

• Multnomah County DA announces fifth murder indictment in serial killer case (Conrad Wilson)
• Republican push to restore tax breaks blocked by Oregon Democrats faces ‘steep hill,’ backers say (Dirk VanderHart)
• Portland’s Garry Small is getting out of the Saab business (Geoff Norcross)
• 1 year later, how Washington’s cap on rent hikes has been enforced (Jake Goldstein-Street, Washington State Standard)
• Albany City Council will decide whether to turn the city’s Flock camera back on (Macy Moore, KLCC)
• Haptic vests now available at this Walla Walla theater (Erick Bengel, Northwest Public Broadcasting)
• Trump’s no-bond policy for immigrants in custody played out for years in Tacoma (Cedar Attanasio, AP)
• Supreme Court rejects Florida’s bid to sue Washington, California over truck licenses for immigrants (AP)

Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation

“Think Out Loud” airs at noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app. Today’s planned topics (subject to change):

• Owners of new Trap Kitchen restaurant in Portland say it’s about both food and community
• PSU graduate program focuses on mental health of infants and toddlers

One more look

At BizTown, Portland-area kids get the job done

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, there are over 162 million civilians employed in the nation’s workforce.

But that number may be an undercount since it does not include kids working at Junior Achievement BizTown.

The nationwide program gives fourth through sixth graders jobs, paychecks and more to experience what it’s like to be a working adult for a day in the simulated city of BizTown.

Barbra Smith is the president and CEO of Junior Achievement of Oregon and Southwest Washington. She says the simulation is important for kids to think about their careers and getting older.

“Students need to understand how their education connects to their careers and to what they want to do later in life,” she said. “They also need to really understand how reading, writing and arithmetic are going to form their futures.”

There are various careers and industries to work in, including healthcare, food service, public service and sales, to name a few. (Rolando Hernandez)

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/05/27/longview-chemical-disaster-first-look/