Silfab Solar says chemical spill was 300 gallons, not 1,530 gallons first reported

Three-hundred gallons of potassium hydroxide were spilled at the controversial Silfab Solar site in Fort Mill on Tuesday, according to York County government.

The spill was initially reported as 1,530 gallons, but the correct amount is 300 gallons, according to a statement shortly after noon from Greg Suskin, the public information manager in the York County manager’s office.

“The original number of gallons we referred to in our statement was provided by Silfab,” Suskin said in a text message to The Herald. “After receiving additional information, it has now been determined the number of gallons is closer to 300 ...”

Emergency responders were at the scene. But there was no public threat from the spill, according to York County. Potassium hydroxide is an industrial base used in making items like soap, fertilizer and batteries. It can irritate the skin, eyes or respiratory system when it comes in contact with humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It was not immediately clear what caused the spill. Greg Basden, Director of Operations for Silfab, issued a statement confirming the spill. It said:

“Silfab Solar can confirm the accidental release of water containing .03 percent of potassium hydroxide at our Fort Mill facility today. We notified York County emergency management per protocol, and they responded immediately. The situation is under control. We are working with our local emergency services and there is no danger to public safety.”

A letter from the S.C. Department of Environmental Services calls for Silfab to stop accepting chemicals at the site and pause start-up operations until a state investigation of the spill is complete.

A letter and online post from S.C. Sen. Michael Johnson goes further, asking York County to revoke all permits and licenses that allow the company to operate in Fort Mill. The issue of whether Silfab should be allowed in a light industrial area of Fort Mill has been a county question to date, Johnson wrote.

“Today all of that changed,” Johnson posted to his Facebook page.

Intense community concern the past three years has largely centered on the potential for a chemical spill from the Silfab site. Move Silfab Solar is an active community group that’s been a constant presence at York County Council, Fort Mill School District and other public meetings to speak against Silfab’s Fort Mill operation.

“This spill is evidence of what the citizens have been telling the courts all this time, and why legal challenges were filed in all courts—from the circuit court, to the court of appeals, and the South Carolina Supreme Court,” attorney Cameron Halford, who has represented area neighbors in legal disputes against Silfab, said in a statement provided to The Herald.

Earlier Tuesday, before the clarification on the amount of gallons that spilled, York County posted this message on its Facebook page:

“At approximately 9:45 a.m., there was an incident at 7149 Logistics Lane, which resulted in 1530 gallons of potassium hydroxide being released. A majority of the chemicals, 1500 gallons, were contained by Silfab’s retention pool. Emergency responders were on scene within three minutes and confirmed the incident posed no danger to the public. The remaining 30 gallons of potassium hydroxide are being mitigated by a York County hazmat team and private contractors.”

The county asked people to avoid the site because of the emergency vehicles there.

Fort Mill schools notified about Silfab chemical spill

York County emergency officials told the Fort Mill School District about the spill right after it happened, said Joe Burke, spokesman for the school district. Flint Hill Elementary School is located near the Silfab site.

Officials told the school district there was no threat to Flint Hill Elementary School students or staff, Burke said.

The district then sent a message to Flint Hill families and staff that said an air monitoring system did not register any contaminants at the school.

“The district has been notified by York County Emergency Management of a chemical leak at the Silfab facility, the statement said. “Emergency Management is onsite at the facility and has confirmed that this poses no danger to our schools or the community. We have also verified with Citadel EHS that our air monitoring system has not registered any contaminates on our school sites.

York County Emergency is handling the response to this issue and will continue to advise the district and community of any concerns.”

Community concerns on Silfab facility

Move Silfab member Scott Jenson went to the site Tuesday morning after hearing about the spill. “Everything about it is alarming,” Jenson said.

Move Silfab continues to argue that Silfab should only be allowed in areas zoned for heavy industrial uses.

The Logistics Lane site is light industrial. York County has repeatedly confirmed that Silfab is allowed to operate at its site after receiving a zoning verification letter in late 2022.

Move Silfab, pointing to a Board of Zoning Appeals in 2024 that determined solar panel manufacturing shouldn’t be allowed in light industrial areas, argues York County could be liable for spills or problems at the site.

After years of arguing about what could happen with a spill, Jenson believes Tuesday’s incident could be a turning point in the conversation. “We’re hopeful,” he said.

York County needs to “own this and move Silfab before something far worse happens,” Halford said.

“The spill shows that an accidental release near homes and schools is a reality, not merely conjectural or hypothetical,” he said. “The danger is real.”

Official calls for state action

S.C. Rep. David Martin, a Fort Mill Republican, told The Herald he was made aware of the spill on his drive to Columbia to the General Assembly. Martin wants immediate answers and action from state and York County officials about what happened, he said, and why it happened after voicing concerns for over a year.

Martin he has reached out to the S.C. Department of Environmental Services, he said. The legislator is “frustrated” and “livid,” he told The Herald. Martin said he wants to know from state officials what is being done now and what will be done in the future.

“I am extremely concerned,” Martin said.

This is a developing story.

This story was originally published March 3, 2026 at 11:07 AM.