Assembly production has resumed at Silfab Solar in Fort Mill following on-site assessments Monday by federal and state officials. The company, which operates near an elementary school, has been under scrutiny following a pair of chemical spills last week.
Silfab agreed to cease all operations over the weekend pending the on-site investigations. At the conclusion of initial assessments, the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES), in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), reported no indication that assembly operations should remain paused.
Last Tuesday, approximately 300 gallons of a potassium hydroxide solution -- used in the making of soap and pretzels -- spilled from a 1,500-gallon tank at the Fort Mill plant. That spill was contained on-site and quickly deemed to be not harmful to the public, but it led to almost immediate calls among state and local officials to shut Silfab down.
Silfab paused operations last Thursday, based on a DES directive, after it was reported that there was a separate hydrofluoric acid leak at the site. That incident led to the Fort Mill School District closing Flint Hill Elementary School, which sits close to the plant.
Silfab’s proximity to the school has been the source of much public backlash for two years and has become a major point of conversation among candidates for political office this week.
Attorney General Alan Wilson made the following statement this week: “My office is reviewing the latest reports regarding the Silfab facility in York County and continuing to gather additional information. The safety of students, teachers, and families in the surrounding community remains our top priority. We will provide further updates when we are able to do so."
Silfab has agreed to continue to halt the startup of its manufacturing operations until it enters into a Compliance Agreement that contains the requirements from SCDES's initial directive, to include:
- retaining a qualified professional engineer with expertise in evaluating chemical systems and equipment leaks and provide evaluation results to the department
- notifying the department as soon as reasonably possible of any future leaks of any chemical from any piping or tank system
Updates about Silfab and its operations can be found on the SCDES website.