Are Fort Mill bald eagles threatened by Silfab? Wildlife biologist says it’s unlikely
One family in a Fort Mill subdivision isn’t like the others.
They shriek in the early morning hours.
Their home is cordoned off by authorities for their safety.
They drop fish on neighbors’ rooftops and leave them to decompose in the sun.
Residents in the Masons Bend subdivision wouldn’t have it any other way: Those noisy neighbors are bald eagles, the federally protected national bird of the United States that rebounded from the brink of extinction.
The bald eagle nesting site is one of eight documented locations in York County. But some residents said they’re afraid the new Silfab Solar manufacturing plant several miles away could disturb the birds into moving elsewhere.
“I just don’t understand how or why there’s a place for (Silfab) in our community, why there can’t be industrial areas that are off-grid that aren’t going to be a threat,” said Christina Davis, whose townhouse faces the nesting site from across the street.
Davis and her neighbors worried the industrial processes used in Silfab’s operations could harm the eagles, the latest in a series of health and safety claims against the Canadian company.
Fort Mill residents’ primary concern about Silfab is its proximity to neighborhoods and schools, including a new elementary school planned to open this fall. Fort Mill School District is searching for a firm to conduct an environmental evaluation at the urging of a group of pediatric environmental health experts.
Silfab expects to bring 800 new jobs to the area and said it has all necessary environmental permits, yet the company faces opposition from every direction. It’s entangled in two court cases that could determine its fate. South Carolina legislators from York County want to invalidate its permits via two bills introduced this month.
And in a county council meeting on Monday, two council members suggested a cease and desist on Silfab’s operations and an audit of its property tax incentive agreement.
But wildlife experts say eagles are unlikely to be threatened by Silfab. The company says neighbors raising alarm about the eagles is irresponsible.
Masons Bend bald eagles
For four years, Davis and her daughter have perched themselves atop their “eagle watching bench” to watch the birds go through their daily routine. They fly to the Catawba River to catch food, post up on a nearby rooftop to scout for predators and return to the nest. The babies practice flight, first awkwardly and then with confidence.
The birds disappear for a few months a year before returning to raise another baby or two. It reminds Davis of her childhood in San Juan Capistrano, California, a small city in Orange County that throws a parade every year to celebrate the return of the migratory swallows.
“I like having that for my daughter, to have the anticipation of the eagle returning to its nest,” said Davis, who sports a swallow tattoo on her arm. “That’s something that is very significant to my childhood.”
Davis is one of the lucky ones. Curious neighbors from up and down the street filter through by car and by foot in hopes their timing is right to catch the birds in action.
The eagles became a mascot of sorts for Masons Bend. There’s even a neighborhood swim team named in their honor.
The surrounding woods are protected by several signs labeling the patch an environmental area and warning people not to enter. Locals follow those instructions out of respect for the animals.
“Everybody knows about this bald eagle and is just very protective,” said Stephanie Hammonds, who can see the eagles from her back yard. “Of course that’s a concern with Silfab and the chemicals that it would be releasing daily into the air.”
Wildlife experts weigh in on Fort Mill eagles nest question
Bald eagles landed on the federal list of endangered and threatened species in 1978, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Their population rebounded over the next several decades, and they were removed from the list in 2007, but federal protections remain from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Hunting or otherwise disturbing bald eagles is a crime.
In South Carolina, the species is still considered threatened due to habitat loss and receives additional state protections.
Experts say there’s little to worry about if an industrial or commercial project is located more than 660 feet, or one-eighth of a mile, from a nest. Silfab is located about 5 miles away.
Ulgonda Kirkpatrick, an eagle biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said “given the distance, it is unlikely that bald eagles would be negatively affected” by Silfab.
The state has about 400 bald eagle nests in total, said Meredith Heather, a wildlife biologist with SCDNR. The department is not aware of potential dangers Silfab’s emissions might pose to eagles.
Silfab: ‘the target keeps moving’
Silfab expressed frustration over the latest accusations.
No regulatory agencies have contacted the company about wildlife or bald eagle concerns, according to Silfab. The nest “is not remotely close enough” to warrant a permit related to eagle protection.
The plant will operate within environmental guidelines and poses no greater risk to wildlife than any other existing development in the area, the company said in a statement to The Herald.
Silfab said it agreed to more frequent third-party environmental testing than is required and had its risk management plan certified by the Environmental Protection Agency in October.
“Silfab has diligently addressed each valid concern from the community with substantial changes to our plans. However, the target keeps moving. When one concern is addressed, a new baseless accusation is introduced to the community,” Silfab said.
“Any suggestion that Silfab’s operations will negatively impact wildlife miles away from the facility is absurd and nothing but another desperate attempt to interfere with our lawful rights to construct and operate the facility.”
This story was originally published April 25, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
