Silfab in Fort Mill, SC: A timeline of controversy, lawsuits and chemical spills
The Silfab solar plant in Fort Mill where officials said there were two chemical spills this week has been controversial in the community since it was announced in 2023.
Here is a timeline of some key events since York County officials announced Silfab was planning to build on Logistics Lane off U.S. 21, south of the North Carolina border. The information below comes from reporting by The Herald, The Charlotte Observer, and public records.
February 2023: York County Council has first discussions about the plant. Council member Debbie Cloninger, who represents the area, brought up environmental and traffic concerns, plus concerns that two schools were being built nearby.
The $150 million project would create 800 jobs, officials said.
March 2023: Fort Mill residents in huge numbers first voice public concerns about environmental impact, traffic, chemicals at the site and other potential problems to the county council.
September 2023: The York County Council, in a 4-3 vote, approves a tax incentive deal for Silfab despite pushback from some council members and the public.
May 2024: Residents go to the York County Board of Zoning Appeals about Silfab. “Hundreds of people gathered at the appeals board hearing to protest solar manufacturing at the Silfab site,” The Herald reported. The board reversed a county staff decision that solar panel manufacturing, like Silfab, should be allowed in a light industrial zoning district.
June 2024: Hundreds of residents attend a protest and vow to continue to fight Sillfab after York County continued to back the $150 million project. “The fight is not over,” opponents said.
Summer into fall 2024: Lawsuits about the Silfab site are filed in York County civil court. Silfab filed an action against the Board of Zoning Appeals reversal. The nonprofit Citizens Alliance for Government Integrity filed suit against Silfab, property owner Exeter 7149 and York County through its planning department.
Those lawsuits remain pending final resolution, court records show.
February 2025: A South Carolina judge declines to halt construction on the Silfab plant in the Citizens Alliance civil lawsuit case.
April 2025: Some residents of Fort Mill within a mile of the Silfab plant tell The Herald and The Charlotte Observer they are selling their homes over safety concerns.
April 2025: S.C. Rep. David Martin and state Sen. Michael Johnson file bills in the S.C. General Assembly that would strip Silfab of the right to operate the Fort Mill location. Those bills remain pending.
May 2025: Protesters outside the York County Council renew calls to move Silfab.
May 2025: York County says in a statement it cannot revoke Silfab’s permits or force the company to close its Fort Mill operation.
June 2025: York County temporarily stops construction after saying investigators found employees on the premises who were not permitted to be there. Work resumed the next day after the pause, officials said.
March 3 to March 5, 2026: Chemical spills happen on March 3 and March 5. York County emergency agencies and S.C. Department of Environmental Services investigate. Silfab opponents renew calls to have work stopped there.
Thursday, March 5: The S.C. Department of Environmental Services issues a stop work order to Silfab.
Thursday, March 5: The York County Council schedules a meeting for March 6 to discuss legal options about Silfab.
Reporters John Marks, Nick Sullivan and Nora O’Neill contributed.
This story was originally published March 5, 2026 at 1:24 PM.
