The investigation involves multiple agencies with overlapping mandates. The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board and the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries are conducting parallel technical investigations into the tank failure, expected to take up to six months. The Department of Ecology is examining environmental violations. The specific legal basis for the Attorney General's expanded authority has not been disclosed. The tank was not subject to routine state or federal inspection requirements—a regulatory gap that has become central to the inquiry.
For attorneys tracking workplace safety litigation, this development signals a shift toward criminal accountability. The Attorney General's involvement six weeks after the incident suggests the investigation is moving beyond technical causation toward questions of negligence or willful misconduct. The uninspected status of the tank creates potential liability exposure for the facility operator and raises broader questions about regulatory oversight of industrial infrastructure. Expect discovery disputes and potential charges within the coming months as the parallel investigations conclude.