SC orders Silfab Solar to stop work after second Fort Mill chemical spill this week

South Carolina environmental officials ordered the Silfab Solar facility in Fort Mill to immediately cease all operations Thursday morning after a second chemical spill in one week.

The Thursday chemical spill at Silfab Solar came two days after another spill that’s prompted widespread calls for a state investigation into the Fort Mill site. The Fort Mill School District closed nearby Flint Hill Elementary School on Thursday due to the spill.

According to a letter sent to Silfab and obtained by The Charlotte Observer, in addition to ceasing all operations, the facility must confirm to the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services there are no other chemical leaks. Thursday’s spill was contained entirely within the facility, according to the letter.

In a statement Thursday afternoon, Silfab Solar said it is working with state environmental officials and local authorities in response to the order, and has voluntarily paused operations at the Fort Mill facility. The incidents do not pose a health risk to workers, the community or the environment, said Greg Basden, the company’s director of operations in Fort Mill.

Silfab is a Canadian-based company that makes solar panels. In 2023, Silfab announced plans to invest $150 million and create 800 jobs at its Fort Mill operations.

Silfab also must put all systems in a “safe and secure” condition. The facility must have a qualified engineer conduct an evaluation, and promptly notify the department of any future chemical release. Silfab must consent to the order by 4 p.m. Thursday or face “further action” from the department.

Widespread public debate has been ongoing the past three years on whether solar panel manufacturing should be allowed on the Silfab property that’s so close to a school.

About the new Silfab Solar chemical leak

York County posted a message to its Facebook page a little before 8:30 a.m., describing a leak of hydrofluoric acid. Its emergency management team went to the Silfab facility at 7149 Logistics Lane to monitor the incident, which does not pose a threat to public safety, according to the county.

S.C. Rep. David Martin said he and state Sen. Michael Johnson were told state environmental officials again were told about Silfab on Thursday. Martin, a Republican in Fort Mill, pushed for the S.C. Department of Environmental Services to issue a stop work order at Silfab after Tuesday’s chemical spill at the site.

Hydrofluoric acid is a chemical that corrodes metal and releases flammable hydrogen, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It reacts with water or steam to create toxic fumes.

In addition to dangers of explosion, inhalation or skin exposure can cause symptoms from mild discomfort to death, according to the CDC.

“We have been assured the hydrofluoric acid is being contained within secondary containment, designed to capture chemicals released inadvertently,” the county message said.

Rep. Martin: “I don’t trust anything Silfab says at this point.”

At a news conference Thursday afternoon at the Fort Mill school district office, The Herald asked Martin, the S.C. representative who represents the area and is a parent of a Fort Mill student, if he had concerns about the veracity and accuracy of information the plant had provided to county and state officials since Tuesday. The amount of chemical released Tuesday changed after an initial statement from York County officials, and then Thursday there was a second leak with a different chemical. The Thursday information came out only after the public allegedly reported it to 911, according to the school district.

“I don’t trust anything Silfab says at this point,” Martin said at the news conference. “They have had every opportunity to do the right thing in this community for over two years.”

Martin called the last three days of spills and community concern for safety “an atrocity that never should have happened.” He and others had fought Silfab locating near schools and residences.

Martin said he wants the state Department of Environmental Services and county officials to fully investigate what information has been put out by the company. Martin said he wants “transparency and accountability” and is demanding to know “who is responsible” for what has happened over the past three days.

“I want to know exactly what the truth is,” Martin said.

Martin said he has been told the federal Environmental Protection Agency will start an investigation on March 10. Martin said he has been talking to the S.C. Attorney General’s office and York County Sheriff’s Office about a “full investigation.”

“I want to know what happened in this facility, I want to know how this happened, I want to know who was responsible,” Martin said.

Superintendent Grey Young said the district and its school board have joined other officials in calling for “a complete and immediate shutdown” at Silfab. The incidents have caused significant parent unrest and affected the core mission of providing a safe school environment for children. The elementary school and a middle school under construction set to open this year are on properties adjacent to Silfab.

In response to questions from The Herald about the timeline of events Thursday, Young said members of the public called him and other school officials Wednesday night claiming there was possibly another spill or incident at the plant. Young said he and others advised those people to cal 911 and report the problem to proper authorities.

Young said he contacted York County Emergency Management before 6 a.m. Thursday and was told there was “no active spill.” Emergency management officials called him back at 6:53 a.m. and told him there was a “minor leak” at the plant, Young said.

School officials started discussing cancelling school at Flint Hill Elementary immediately and minutes after 7 a.m. decided to keep the campus closed for the day before students arrived, Young said.

“We did not feel comfortable at that time with the information we had at the time to allow Flint Hill Elementary to have school today,” Young said.

About 300 students did not get off the bus at Flint Hill, but were taken to Pleasant Knoll Middle School where they were reunited with parents after 9 a.m.

SC residents erupt over second Silfab chemical spill

Residents were furious over the news from the county about Silfab.

Tim Hegarty, who has been opposed to the location from the outset, said the government of the county and state now “cannot equivocate on this issue.

“You either move Silfab or you support Silfab in its current location,” Hegarty said in a phone interview and statement sent to The Herald. “There is not, and cannot be, any middle ground to such a monumental issue of public health, safety and quality of life.”

Opponents still have concerns about zoning and the public’s right to due process, he said.

“Recent events serve as a warning and county officials need to recognize them as such,” Hegarty said. “The next event may not be as benign.”

Fort Mill resident Andy Lytle, an engineer, has been an outspoken opponent of locating the Silfab plant at its location since it was announced in 2023.

Lytle said he and other members of the group Move Silfab have been monitoring the actions of the county and state response since Tuesday, including what chemicals have been found to have been used or spilled. “We are trying to keep everybody calm,” Lytle said.

Yet the spills and the understandable public concern for safety this week show without question the decision to put Silfab near schools and residences was the wrong one, Lytle said. “It doesn’t belong there,” Lytle said. “We got a gentle warning.”

The school district did the right thing to keep the Flint Hill Elementary School closed Thursday, he said.

Scott Jenson, a member of the Move Silfab group who is a parent in the Fort Mill school district, said Thursday the ongoing concerns at Silfab require immediate action.

“This is insane,” Jenson said. “They need to shut it down.”

Jenson again voiced concerns that county and state actions have been inadequate to not just students and staff at Flint Hill Elementary, but the community as a whole.

Residents blast York County on social media

The county’s Facebook page lit up.

“What is the county waiting for?!? For actual deaths and serious illnesses before shutting this down?!?” one person wrote on the county’s Facebook.

Another said, “Shame on all of you York County SC you’re a big part of the problem. Your response on both incidents have been pathetic.”

“How the absolute hell did you let this happen? What an absolute abandonment of leadership at county, district and town level,” another person wrote.

Silfab Solar’s other chemical spill this week

The leak follows an incident Tuesday when 300 gallons of potassium hydroxide, initially reported at more than 1,500 gallons, spilled at the Silfab site.

“We are incredibly disappointed that another issue at Silfab Solar has occurred,” the county said in its post. “We will continue to work with the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services, in their role as the regulatory agency, and support their investigation however possible. York County does not have regulatory authority but will continue to coordinate with those agencies who do.”

The county issued a statement Thursday afternoon supporting the state decision to halt work at Silfab.

“We understand our community’s outrage and have listened with empathy and understanding,” the county said. “York County wholeheartedly endorses and applauds the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services decision to suspend operations at Silfab Solar.”

SC school closed due to Silfab chemical spill

Flint Hill students who were already on buses this morning were taken to Pleasant Knoll Middle School for a 9 a.m. dismissal, according to the school district.

Parents were asked to go there and park in the football parking lot, where staff would verify to make sure students were sent home with the correct parent or guardian.

The school district sent a message to families throughout the district saying some buses may run late on Thursday morning as buses were being rerouted to assist another school.

Rep. Martin, told The Herald Thursday morning he agreed with the school district’s decision to close Flint Hill “out of an abundance of caution” after district officials received word about another incident at Silfab located near the school.

State already investigating Silfab response

Tuesday’s spill prompted a letter from environmental services department Director Myra Reece stating Silfab should stop accepting chemicals at the site and pause all operations until a state investigation into the initial spill is complete.

Several state legislators and the school district supported those mandates. State Attorney General Alan Wilson wrote a letter Tuesday asking Silfab pointed questions about the spill and response to determine “what further actions may be warranted.”

Fort Mill, York County response to Silfab

Fort Mill emergency responders have assisted and will continue to assist York County in any way needed regarding the Silfab site, said Mayor Guynn Savage. Despite Silfab’s Fort Mill address, it is located in unincorporated York County.

The town doesn’t have authority to require changes at the Silfab site.

“We have had a number of calls since it occurred,” Savage told The Herald on Thursday morning, of the initial spill, “with residents asking about the town’s response. We have very diligently worked to help people understand that this facility is not in the town of Fort Mill and is not in our jurisdiction.”

York County monitoring situation

York County Council Chairwoman Christi Cox was in constant contact with town, state, school district, law enforcement and legal officials immediately after the initial spill, she said in a statement on Wednesday night.

“We have been personally assured that they are using their best resources to get to the bottom of the situation and that they will communicate their findings to the county as soon as the results of their investigation are available,” Cox said.

York County has stated repeatedly that it does not have regulatory authority, deferring to the state environmental department. But, the county will “take any legally permissible action necessary to ensure our community is protected,” Cox said.

SC House panel talks Silfab spill, proposed zoning bill

The chemical spills at the Silfab site also drew attention from state lawmakers Thursday. The House municipal and public affairs subcommittee discussed the situation during a hearing on a bill tied to zoning enforcement.

The proposal, House Bill 4293, would allow counties and municipalities to immediately halt development if zoning officials determine a project is not properly permitted under local zoning rules.

Martin, who is a sponsor of the bill, said it would give local governments clearer authority to stop projects when zoning conflicts arise, rather than allowing construction or operations to continue while disputes are resolved.

“This is not about punishing businesses or discouraging economic growth,” Martin said. “Instead, this bill provides responsible companies that follow zoning laws operate safely and respect our communities that they operate in.”

Fort Mill School District Superintendent Grey Young submitted a written statement to the committee in which he pointed to the recent spills at Silfab as an example of why lawmakers should clarify the law.

“Our primary responsibility is to ensure a safe and healthy learning environment for every student, this legislation is a critical step towards that goal, as it provides local municipalities the authority to rectify zoning errors and prevent the same exact situation we are now facing in Fort Mill,” he said.

The committee said members will continue working on the bill and any amendments before taking it up again at a later meeting.

This story was originally published March 5, 2026 at 8:49 AM.