I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 10441 

To amend the Toxic Substances Control Act to prohibit the use of hydrogen 

fluoride (hydrofluoric acid) at petroleum refineries, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 16, 2024 

Ms. WATERS (for herself, Mr. LIEU, Ms. BARRAGA ́N, Mr. COHEN, Mrs. RAMIREZ, Mr. ROBERT GARCIA of California, Ms. NORTON, Ms. TLAIB, Ms. 

KAMLAGER-DOVE, Ms. SCANLON, and Ms. LEE of California) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 

Commerce 

A BILL 

To amend the Toxic Substances Control Act to prohibit 

the use of hydrogen fluoride (hydrofluoric acid) at petroleum refineries, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Preventing Mass Cas5 ualties from Release of Hydrofluoric Acid at Refineries 

6 Act of 2024’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

8 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) Hydrogen fluoride (hydrofluoric acid) is an 

2 exceptionally hazardous chemical, which is used in 

3 large quantities in approximately 40 petroleum refin4 eries in the United States to refine petroleum in 

5 order to produce high octane gasoline. 

6 (2) Petroleum refineries are vulnerable to acci7 dents, natural disasters, and intentional subversive 

8 acts, which could result in the release of a large 

9 quantity of hydrogen fluoride (hydrofluoric acid). 

10 (3) The release of a sufficient quantity of hy11 drogen fluoride (hydrofluoric acid) from a petroleum 

12 refinery has in the past, and could in the future, 

13 cause immediate injuries or deaths to refinery work14 ers who are exposed. 

15 (4) The release of a sufficient quantity of hy16 drogen fluoride (hydrofluoric acid) from a petroleum 

17 refinery could cause a mass casualty event in the 

18 surrounding community, resulting in immediate 

19 deaths or permanent injuries to thousands of people 

20 living, working, or traveling within a radius of up to 

21 25 miles. 

22 (5) More than 14 million people are at risk of 

23 death or permanent injuries as a result of living in 

24 communities surrounding petroleum refineries that 

25 use hydrogen fluoride (hydrofluoric acid), and many 


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1 of these at-risk communities are disproportionately 

2 impacted by environmental burdens. 

3 (6) Alternative technologies are available that 

4 would enable petroleum refineries to convert from 

5 the use of hydrogen fluoride (hydrofluoric acid) to a 

6 vastly safer, commercially proven alternative method 

7 for refining petroleum to produce high octane gaso8 line, and these alternative technologies are already 

9 used in the majority of refineries in the United 

10 States. 

11 (7) New petroleum refineries should not be al12 lowed to use hydrogen fluoride (hydrofluoric acid) to 

13 refine petroleum, and petroleum refineries that cur14 rently use hydrogen fluoride (hydrofluoric acid) 

15 should be required to convert to a safer alternative. 

16 SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON USE OF HYDROFLUORIC ACID AT 

17 PETROLEUM REFINERIES. 

18 Section 6 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (15 

19 U.S.C. 2605) is amended— 

20 (1) by redesignating subsection (j) as sub21 section (k); and 

22 (2) by inserting after subsection (i) the fol23 lowing: 

24 ‘‘(j) PROHIBITION ON USE OF HYDROFLUORIC ACID

25 AT PETROLEUM REFINERIES.— 


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1 ‘‘(1) NEW REFINERIES.—No person may use 

2 hydrogen fluoride (hydrofluoric acid) to refine petro3 leum at a petroleum refinery that begins operating 

4 on or after the date of enactment of this subsection. 

5 ‘‘(2) EXISTING REFINERIES.— 

6 ‘‘(A) PROHIBITION.—Beginning on the 

7 date that is 5 years after the date of enactment 

8 of this subsection, no person may use hydrogen 

9 fluoride (hydrofluoric acid) to refine petroleum 

10 at a petroleum refinery that began operating 

11 before the date of enactment of this subsection. 

12 ‘‘(B) CIVIL PENALTY.—Notwithstanding 

13 the first sentence of section 16(a)(1), the 

14 amount of a civil penalty under such first sen15 tence for violating a provision of section 15 with 

16 respect to a requirement of this paragraph shall 

17 be $37,500 for each such violation. 

18 ‘‘(3) APPLICATION OF WAIVER AUTHORITY.— 

19 Notwithstanding section 22, the Administrator may 

20 not issue a waiver under such section with respect 

21 to the prohibition on the use of hydrogen fluoride 

22 (hydrofluoric acid) at a petroleum refinery under 

23 this subsection.’’. 

Æ 


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