# PHMSA Hazmat Incident I-1997030119 — SODIUM HYDROXIDE, SOLUTION — APPLEBY, TX

**Citation:** PHMSA Hazmat Incident I-1997030119  
**Type / status:** incident / historical  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** 1997-01-22  
**Published:** Not stated

Serious reporter-submitted hazardous materials transportation incident on 1997-01-22 in APPLEBY, TX.

## Document text

PHMSA hazardous materials incident report I-1997030119.
Incident date: 1997-01-22.
Location: APPLEBY, TX.
Mode: Rail.
Carrier/reporter: BURLINGTON NORTHERN & SANTA FE.
Shipper: OCCIDENTAL CHEMICAL CO.
Materials: UN1824; SODIUM HYDROXIDE, SOLUTION; hazard class 8; 15500 LGA released | UN1824; SODIUM HYDROXIDE, SOLUTION; hazard class 8; 500 LGA released | UN1824; SODIUM HYDROXIDE, SOLUTION; hazard class 8; 8000 LGA released.
What failed: Auxiliary Valve; Closure (e.g., Cap, Top, or Plug); Manway or Dome Cover; Piping or Fittings / Basic Material.
How failed: Punctured / Ripped or Torn.
Reported failure causes: Derailment; Rollover Accident; Vehicular Crash or Accident Damage.
Reported result: Spillage, Environmental Damage.
Reporter-submitted DOT Form 5800.1 data may be incomplete, corrected, supplemented, or misreported. A record, serious-incident classification, failure description, or relationship to a reporting rule is not a PHMSA causal finding, compliance determination, or finding of a violation.

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://portal.phmsa.dot.gov/PDFGenerator/getPublicReport/OHMIR_5800-1-PUBLIC?INCIDENTID=4VIIqqOWzrcFGzB9CZHxeA%3D%3D>
- Source ID: `phmsa-hazmat-incidents`
- SHA-256: `59ffa01d6d81d9812aeaacdcc2d6ce1245a2f9ef9895eba6e8f1b0a094d471ec`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-13T12:55:56.545Z
- Exported: 2026-08-24T12:48:29.697Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-hazmat-incident-i-1997030119`

### Source metadata

```json
{
  "materialSubtype": "phmsa_hazmat_serious_incident",
  "reportNumber": "I-1997030119",
  "operatorReported": true,
  "serious": true,
  "finalAgencyFinding": false,
  "eventDescriptionExcluded": true,
  "publicPdfUrl": "https://portal.phmsa.dot.gov/PDFGenerator/getPublicReport/OHMIR_5800-1-PUBLIC?INCIDENTID=4VIIqqOWzrcFGzB9CZHxeA%3D%3D",
  "rowCount": 3,
  "carrierReporterNames": [
    "BURLINGTON NORTHERN & SANTA FE"
  ],
  "shipperNames": [
    "OCCIDENTAL CHEMICAL CO"
  ],
  "routes": [
    "1/2 MILE WEST OF SIDING SWITCH"
  ],
  "cities": [
    "APPLEBY"
  ],
  "states": [
    "TX"
  ],
  "originCities": [
    "HOUSTON"
  ],
  "modes": [
    "Rail"
  ],
  "materials": [
    {
      "identificationNumber": "UN1824",
      "commodityName": "SODIUM HYDROXIDE, SOLUTION",
      "hazardousClass": "8",
      "quantityReleased": "15500",
      "unitOfMeasure": "LGA"
    },
    {
      "identificationNumber": "UN1824",
      "commodityName": "SODIUM HYDROXIDE, SOLUTION",
      "hazardousClass": "8",
      "quantityReleased": "500",
      "unitOfMeasure": "LGA"
    },
    {
      "identificationNumber": "UN1824",
      "commodityName": "SODIUM HYDROXIDE, SOLUTION",
      "hazardousClass": "8",
      "quantityReleased": "8000",
      "unitOfMeasure": "LGA"
    }
  ],
  "packages": [
    {
      "identificationMarkings": null,
      "outerMaterial": null,
      "outerType": null,
      "outerCapacity": "15956",
      "outerCapacityUnit": "LGA",
      "outerShipmentCount": "1",
      "outerFailedCount": "1",
      "innerMaterial": null,
      "innerType": null,
      "innerCapacity": "0",
      "innerCapacityUnit": null,
      "innerShipmentCount": "0",
      "innerFailedCount": "0"
    },
    {
      "identificationMarkings": null,
      "outerMaterial": null,
      "outerType": null,
      "outerCapacity": "16465",
      "outerCapacityUnit": "LGA",
      "outerShipmentCount": "1",
      "outerFailedCount": "1",
      "innerMaterial": null,
      "innerType": null,
      "innerCapacity": "0",
      "innerCapacityUnit": null,
      "innerShipmentCount": "0",
      "innerFailedCount": "0"
    },
    {
      "identificationMarkings": null,
      "outerMaterial": null,
      "outerType": null,
      "outerCapacity": "16664",
      "outerCapacityUnit": "LGA",
      "outerShipmentCount": "1",
      "outerFailedCount": "1",
      "innerMaterial": null,
      "innerType": null,
      "innerCapacity": "0",
      "innerCapacityUnit": null,
      "innerShipmentCount": "0",
      "innerFailedCount": "0"
    }
  ],
  "reportingRuleContext": [
    "171.15",
    "171.16"
  ],
  "caveat": "Reporter-submitted DOT Form 5800.1 data may be incomplete, corrected, supplemented, or misreported. A record, serious-incident classification, failure description, or relationship to a reporting rule is not a PHMSA causal finding, compliance determination, or finding of a violation.",
  "privacyCaveat": "The public CSV excludes preparer contact fields. Event Description is intentionally excluded from normalized records and search output to reduce incidental personal-information risk.",
  "jurisdiction": "US"
}
```