OPB’s First Look: New video of Longview chemical disaster

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Good morning, Northwest.

Video from mounted cameras offer glimpses of the Longview tank rupture that killed 11 people earlier this year.

OPB’s Erik Neumann and Troy Brynelson report this morning on the video release and the status of investigations into the incident to start today’s newsletter.

In other news, groundbreaking research by OHSU into Oregon’s legalized psilocybin program shows how psychedelic-assisted therapy has gone for people who partook.

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

— Bradley W. Parks

Top story

New video shows white liquor rupture at Longview plant that killed 11 workers

Security camera footage released this week offers a glimpse of the catastrophic implosion at the Nippon Dynawave wood pulp mill in May that killed 11 workers.

The video, released via Washington’s public records law by the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office, was captured by a mounted camera at the industrial pulp paper mill in Longview, Washington.

The roughly 10-minute video shows the massive tank buckling as it unleashed a slew of caustic chemicals into the jobsite. (Erik Neumann and Troy Brynelson)

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3 things to know

• Oregon’s higher education leaders say the state’s seven public universities and 17 community colleges need more money to keep pace with rising costs. Left unaddressed, they warn, institutions could face steeper cuts and families could have to shoulder more of the burden by paying more for tuition. (Bryce Dole)
• Within a year or two, psilocybin may become the first psychedelic federally approved to treat depression. This week, OHSU published the first rigorous evaluation of Oregon’s legalized psilocybin program. The lead researcher joined OPB to share more. (Amelia Templeton)
• The Vancouver Public Schools Board of Directors voted unanimously Tuesday to accept increased financial oversight from the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the latest example of financial strains in the district. (Erik Neumann)

Northwest headlines

• Invasive beetle that has wiped out millions of ash trees confirmed in Washington (Aspen Ford, Washington State Standard)
• Cost to battle 20 wildfires in Washington has topped $200M (Aspen Ford, Washington State Standard)
• Oregon gets $150K to create habitat for bees and butterflies (Peyton Gast, JPR)
• Velde has a goal and an assist, Pantemis has 5 saves as Timbers beat San Diego 3-1 (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):

• Stakeholders weigh in on Blue Mountains Forest Plan revision

One more look

Prehistoric pedestrians once walked 9th Street in Corvallis. Now, you can see proof at the library

A road project in Corvallis five years ago led to a startling discovery — a piece of a 12,700-year-old Columbian mammoth tusk lurking beneath one of the city’s streets.

That tusk is now on display at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library in a custom case built by the Highland Woodshop, and community donations to buy the materials.

To help get it there, graduate students from Oregon State University helped carefully extract and preserve as much of the tusk as possible so others could experience it. They couldn’t get all of it.

“If there is more of the animal, then it is still under the street in Corvallis,” OSU anthropology professor Loren Davis said. (Macy Moore, KLCC)

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