# PHMSA Hazmat Incident X-2009040018 — SULFUR, MOLTEN — PLAQUEMINE, LA

**Citation:** PHMSA Hazmat Incident X-2009040018  
**Type / status:** incident / historical  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** 2009-03-07  
**Published:** Not stated

Serious reporter-submitted hazardous materials transportation incident on 2009-03-07 in PLAQUEMINE, LA.

## Document text

PHMSA hazardous materials incident report X-2009040018.
Incident date: 2009-03-07.
Location: PLAQUEMINE, LA.
Mode: Rail.
Carrier/reporter: Union Pacific Railroad.
Shipper: ConocoPhillips Company / REICHHOLD CHEMICAL CO INC.
Materials: NA2448; SULFUR, MOLTEN; hazard class 9; 1500 LGA released | UN2055; STYRENE MONOMER, STABILIZED; hazard class 3; 0.007812 LGA released.
What failed: Tank Head / Tank Shell; Tank Shell.
How failed: Cracked / Gouged or Cut; Punctured.
Reported failure causes: Derailment / Derailment; Derailment.
Reported result: Spillage, Fire, Material Entered Waterway/Storm Sewer, Vapor(Gas) Dispersion.
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=LDblstbjEFeNl2c%2BKIfUBg%3D%3D>
- Source ID: `phmsa-hazmat-incidents`
- SHA-256: `15dfae6a955363af630e17c1e83c23534d8404a96bb11663cfef3f2cf21c9a7d`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-13T12:55:56.545Z
- Exported: 2026-08-26T00:44:35.668Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-hazmat-incident-x-2009040018`

### Source metadata

```json
{
  "materialSubtype": "phmsa_hazmat_serious_incident",
  "reportNumber": "X-2009040018",
  "operatorReported": true,
  "serious": true,
  "finalAgencyFinding": false,
  "eventDescriptionExcluded": true,
  "publicPdfUrl": "https://portal.phmsa.dot.gov/PDFGenerator/getPublicReport/OHMIR_5800-1-PUBLIC?INCIDENTID=LDblstbjEFeNl2c%2BKIfUBg%3D%3D",
  "rowCount": 2,
  "carrierReporterNames": [
    "Union Pacific Railroad"
  ],
  "shipperNames": [
    "ConocoPhillips Company",
    "REICHHOLD CHEMICAL CO INC"
  ],
  "routes": [],
  "cities": [
    "PLAQUEMINE"
  ],
  "states": [
    "LA"
  ],
  "originCities": [
    "IRWINDALE",
    "ROXANA"
  ],
  "modes": [
    "Rail"
  ],
  "materials": [
    {
      "identificationNumber": "NA2448",
      "commodityName": "SULFUR, MOLTEN",
      "hazardousClass": "9",
      "quantityReleased": "1500",
      "unitOfMeasure": "LGA"
    },
    {
      "identificationNumber": "UN2055",
      "commodityName": "STYRENE MONOMER, STABILIZED",
      "hazardousClass": "3",
      "quantityReleased": "0.007812",
      "unitOfMeasure": "LGA"
    }
  ],
  "packages": [
    {
      "identificationMarkings": "111A",
      "outerMaterial": null,
      "outerType": null,
      "outerCapacity": "25782",
      "outerCapacityUnit": "LGA",
      "outerShipmentCount": "1",
      "outerFailedCount": "1",
      "innerMaterial": null,
      "innerType": null,
      "innerCapacity": "0",
      "innerCapacityUnit": null,
      "innerShipmentCount": "0",
      "innerFailedCount": "0"
    },
    {
      "identificationMarkings": "211AW",
      "outerMaterial": "steel",
      "outerType": null,
      "outerCapacity": "13980",
      "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"
}
```