Preventing Mass Casualties from Release of Hydrofluoric Acid at Refineries Act of 2026

This bill seeks to amend the Toxic Substances Control Act by prohibiting the use of hydrogen fluoride (hydrofluoric acid) in petroleum refining. The legislation highlights that this exceptionally hazardous chemical, currently used in approximately 40 U.S. refineries, poses a significant risk of mass casualties to workers and surrounding communities, potentially affecting over 14 million people within a 25-mile radius. It emphasizes that safer, commercially proven alternative technologies are available and already utilized by the majority of refineries. To mitigate these risks, the bill establishes a two-tiered prohibition: new petroleum refineries commencing operations after the bill's enactment are immediately barred from using hydrofluoric acid existing refineries must cease its use within five years of the enactment date . Violations of this prohibition will incur a civil penalty of $37,500 for each instance, and importantly, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency is explicitly denied any authority to issue waivers for this ban.