"Monroe Energy in Delaware County is among more than 40 still using hydrofluoric acid, despite safer alternatives"
"Sandwiched between the Delaware River and closely spaced homes, the Monroe Energy oil refinery in Trainer exemplifies the need for better regulation of a dangerous chemical used around the country to produce high-octane gasoline, environmental groups said.
If highly reactive hydrofluoric acid (HF) was released from the Delaware County refinery, it could form a ground-hugging cloud extending up to 17 miles and affecting as many as 1.9 million people in addition to delicate ecosystems nearby. HF attacks the human body causing burns, organ damage and death, a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency claims.
The Philadelphia-based Clean Air Council, the Natural Resources Defense Council and California-based Communities for a Better Environment are suing the EPA in federal court, asking a judge to order the agency to reassess its regulations on the chemical.
Filed last Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the suit follows the EPA’s rejection of a petition by the groups asking the agency to eliminate unreasonable risks from the use of HF at oil refineries. An EPA spokesperson said the agency has a longstanding practice of not commenting on pending litigation."
Peter Hall reports for the Pennsylvania Capital-Star July 14, 2025.
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