A pulp mill in Washington state where 11 workers died after a chemical tank collapsed in May had a history of safety complaints, poor maintenance and discharges of toxic chemicals, records reviewed by The Associated Press show.
State inspectors had planned to visit the plant to interview workers about two unrelated safety complaints the week of the tragedy, one of the deadliest U.S. workplace accidents in decades. Those plans were disrupted when the tank failed as the workday began, expelling huge amounts of a caustic liquid capable of causing severe burns.
