I 
119TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7384 
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 
FEBRUARY 4, 2026 
Ms. WATERS (for herself, Mr. LIEU, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mr. GARCIA of Cali-
fornia, Ms. TLAIB, Ms. NORTON, and Mr. COHEN) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce 
A BILL 
To amend the Toxic Substances Control Act to prohibit 
the use of hydrogen fluoride (hydrofluoric acid) at petro-
leum refineries, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Preventing Mass Cas-
ualties from Release of Hydrofluoric Acid at Refineries 
Act of 2026’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Hydrogen fluoride (hydrofluoric acid) is an 
exceptionally hazardous chemical, which is used in 
large quantities in approximately 40 petroleum refin-
eries in the United States to refine petroleum in 
order to produce high octane gasoline. 
(2) Petroleum refineries are vulnerable to acci-
dents, natural disasters, and intentional subversive 
acts, which could result in the release of a large 
quantity of hydrogen fluoride (hydrofluoric acid). 
(3) The release of a sufficient quantity of hy-
drogen fluoride (hydrofluoric acid) from a petroleum 
refinery has in the past, and could in the future, 
caused immediate injuries or deaths to refinery 
workers who are exposed. 
(4) The release of a sufficient quantity of hy-
drogen fluoride (hydrofluoric acid) from a petroleum 
refinery could cause a mass casualty event in the 
surrounding community, resulting in immediate 
deaths or permanent injuries to thousands of people 
living, working, or traveling within a radius of up to 
25 miles. 
(5) More than 14 million people are at risk of 
death or permanent injuries as a result of living in 
communities surrounding petroleum refineries that 
use hydrogen fluoride (hydrofluoric acid), and many 
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of these at-risk communities are disproportionately 
impacted by environmental burdens. 
(6) Alternative technologies are available that 
would enable petroleum refineries to convert from 
the use of hydrogen fluoride (hydrofluoric acid) to a 
vastly safer, commercially proven alternative method 
for refining petroleum to produce high octane gaso-
line, and these alternative technologies are already 
used in the majority of refineries in the United 
States. 
(7) New petroleum refineries should not be al-
lowed to use hydrogen fluoride (hydrofluoric acid) to 
refine petroleum, and petroleum refineries that cur-
rently use hydrogen fluoride (hydrofluoric acid) 
should be required to convert to a safer alternative. 
SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON USE OF HYDROFLUORIC ACID AT 
PETROLEUM REFINERIES. 
Section 6 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (15 
U.S.C. 2605) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (j) as sub-
section (k); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (i) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(j) PROHIBITION ON USE OF HYDROFLUORIC ACID 
AT PETROLEUM REFINERIES.— 
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‘‘(1) NEW REFINERIES.—No person may use 
hydrogen fluoride (hydrofluoric acid) to refine petro-
leum at a petroleum refinery that begins operating 
on or after the date of enactment of this subsection. 
‘‘(2) EXISTING REFINERIES.— 
‘‘(A) PROHIBITION.—Beginning on the 
date that is 5 years after the date of enactment 
of this subsection, no person may use hydrogen 
fluoride (hydrofluoric acid) to refine petroleum 
at a petroleum refinery that began operating 
before the date of enactment of this subsection. 
‘‘(B) CIVIL
PENALTY.—Notwithstanding 
the first sentence of section 16(a)(1), the 
amount of a civil penalty under such first sen-
tence for violating a provision of section 15 with 
respect to a requirement of this paragraph shall 
be $37,500 for each such violation. 
‘‘(3) APPLICATION OF WAIVER AUTHORITY.— 
Notwithstanding section 22, the Administrator may 
not issue a waiver under such section with respect 
to the prohibition on the use of hydrogen fluoride 
(hydrofluoric acid) at a petroleum refinery under 
this subsection.’’. 
Æ 
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