Contamination clearing from Longview drainage ditches, EPA says

The pH of the water in drainage ditches around Longview is returning to normal thanks to flushing efforts following the Tuesday chemical spill at a Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. mill, the Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday.

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Brooks Stanfield, the federal on-scene coordinator for the EPA, said the last two rounds of testing show that the pH of the water in ditches near the Nippon pulp and paper mill has stabilized within the normal range.

There are still some areas with elevated pH levels, especially in the cutoff slew between 38th Avenue and the Consolidated Diking Improvement District main pump on Pacific Way, he said. The contamination may appear as darker areas in the water.

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The arrows indicate the flow of the flushing to remove the suspected contaminated water, according to a Department of Ecology representative.

The pH of the water being discharged into the Columbia River also remains within acceptable levels, he said.

Longview Public Works Director Chris Collins said the city's drinking water remains safe.

"Protecting our city's drinking water has been one of our top priorities since this incident occurred," Collins said.

Drainage map

He added that residents should still avoid drainage ditches and keep their pets away from the water. If someone has contact with contaminated water, they should rinse off thoroughly with clean water and contact a medical professional if they notice any abnormal conditions.

Some residents may notice a rotten egg smell, but Collins said that is not dangerous and is actually a sign that water flushing efforts are working. The smell is caused by hydrogen sulfide, which is released as a byproduct when the spilled chemicals are diluted into the surrounding water, he said.

To aid the flushing effort, the city is draining water from Lake Sacajawea, so residents may notice the water level slowly lowering over the next week, Collins said.

Slough

The slough along the Pacific Avenue Trail appears darker than normal on Friday, May 29, in Longview. Officials say the darker color and a possible rotten egg smell may occur as they dilute and flush suspected contaminated water from Tuesday's Nippon chemical spill.

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This story was originally published May 31, 2026 at 4:38 AM.