University of Maine student dies after gas exposure at Woodland Pulp Mill

A University of Maine student died Tuesday after being exposed to gas inside a bleach plant at the Woodland Pulp Mill in Baileyville, Maine, a company spokesperson said.

Kasie Malcolm had recently started working at the mill as an intern, Woodland Pulp spokesperson Scott Beal said.

Beal said workers were in the process of shutting down the mill when Malcolm and another individual were near a section of the bleach plant and were suddenly overcome. 

“We believe they were exposed to an inhalation hazard of gas, and they were stricken,” he said. 

University of Maine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy and Dean of Students Andrea Gifford confirmed Malcolm’s death in a letter to the university community, sharing that he was a junior majoring in chemical engineering. 

“The loss of a student is heartbreaking and our thoughts are with Kasie’s family, friends, classmates, faculty, and all who knew and cared for him,” the letter reads. “We recognize that news like this can be very distressing and may bring up many emotions. Please know that you are not alone and support is available.”

The university said it will not release further details at this time out of respect for the family’s privacy. 

The Baileyville Fire Department was dispatched to the mill around 6:20 p.m., according to a statement shared on Facebook from Chief Brandon Ireland. 

Malcolm and another worker were reported to be “down” after being “overtaken by some type of gas inside the plant,” Ireland said.  

Both were initially transported to Calais Hospital with serious injuries and later transferred to Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, where Malcolm died, Beal said. 

“At this time there is no threat to the public and this seems like a[n] isolated incident inside the confines of the bleach plant at the mill,” Ireland said. 

Fire officials were working with mill personnel to determine the cause of the incident, Ireland said. Woodlands Pulp is conducting an internal investigation, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration also opened an investigation Wednesday, Beal said.

“I believe there will be more information forthcoming once this investigation is brought to a logical conclusion,” he added. 

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