Silfab agrees to terminate manufacturing operations, officials say

FORT MILL, S.C. — Flint Hill Elementary School announced late Thursday afternoon it will remain closed on Friday so the school district can monitor the situation involving Silfab Solar in Fort Mill.

This comes after the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services ordered Silfab Solar to halt all operations after a second chemical leak at the Fort Mill facility prompted a nearby elementary school to close on Thursday.

Early in the morning, parents of students at Flint Hill Elementary School were notified of an “active incident” at the solar panel manufacturing facility and told their kids would be dismissed before the school day got a chance to fully begin.

Now, students won’t return on Friday.

The district is waiting for confirmation from SCDES to ensure Silfab will cease all operations.

“The safety of students and staff remains the district’s top priority,” Fort Mill School District officials said.

The district will continue to work closely with local, county and state officials.

York County confirmed the leak around 8 a.m., saying it involved hydrofluoric acid, which is corrosive to metals and tissue and highly toxic if ingested or inhaled, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Hydrofluoric acid is common in manufacturing. In solar cell manufacturing, it’s used to create the textures that allow the cells to take in sunlight. The Centers for Disease Control describes it as a weak acid, but it can still be dangerous depending on its concentration and how long people are exposed.

The county says the chemical is being stored within secondary containment, designed to capture chemicals released inadvertently, and poses no danger to the community or school.

After the state’s directive, Silfab voluntarily paused operations Thursday, said Greg Basden, Silfab Solar Fort Mill, director of Operations.

Silfab’s technical response team is looking into the issue in coordination with state and local officials. Silfab also confirmed there is no health risk to employees, the community or the environment.

Message sent to families on Thursday afternoon:

“The district is still awaiting confirmation from officials that the SC Department of Environmental Services directive sent to Silfab Solar to cease all operations has been agreed to.

“Based on this information, Flint Hill Elementary School will remain closed on Friday, March 6, as Fort Mill School District continues to monitor the situation involving Silfab Solar.

“The safety of our students and staff remains the district’s top priority. Fort Mill School District will continue to work closely with local, county and state offcials and will provide updates as additional information becomes available. We apologize for this disruption to our school and appreciate your patience as we prioritze the safety of our students and staff.”

The discovery

The second leak was discovered Thursday morning after concerned neighbors in the community decided to launch a drone at the site to investigate. When they did, they told Channel 9 they found a door with red tape over it next to an opened bay door with a large fan. A sign was posted on the door that read “Reason for barricade: Leak at HF Tank.”

0 of 3

Rep. David Martin said those same neighbors also reached out to him, and he told them to call 911.

“I said, ‘You all need to call 911,’ which they did this morning,” Rep. Martin said. “Then that effectuated them going out to that facility and Silfab finally admitting, yes, there is an actual leak there.”

Martin asked SCDES to shut Silfab down, which they did.

“It’s a big day Fort Mill, big day for the safety of our community and our kids after two instances that occurred this week,” Rep. Martin said.

The directive

SCDES directed Silfab it must, “immediately cease all operations ... pending completion of an investigation into the facility’s Risk Management Program by the Department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.”

It added Silfab should, “Notify the Department as soon as reasonably possible of any future release of any chemical from any piping or tank system.”

Rep. Martin said, “Silfab, out of an abundance of caution, should have came to SCDES, especially after what happened on Tuesday and said, ‘Guys, there’s been an incident. I am good with transparency and somebody being held accountable. I am not good for someone trying to cover up problems.”

York County officials said Thursday in a statement they endorse SCDES’ decision to suspend Silfab’s operations.

They called out Silfab’s “glaring deficiencies” in their notification process, which delayed how soon emergency officials and other agencies knew about the leak.

“This is unacceptable and causes serious and legitimate concerns,” York County officials said.

They are looking into possible litigation in the matter.

Silfab later released a statement that reinforced there was no cause for alarm at the facility.

“There is no emergency at the Silfab Solar site in Fort Mill this morning and no need for emergency services or any public safety concerns,” a spokesperson said.

The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services responded to Silfab’s earlier communication regarding a directive issued the same day.

The Department reiterates that the Director’s initial letter was intended to reach a mutual agreement, and that failure to do so would lead to further action, including an Administrative Order.

The Department acknowledges Silfab’s agreement to halt all manufacturing operations and restrict access to related chemicals until a full review of the facility’s Risk Management Program is completed.

However, regulators remain concerned about the proximity of regulated substances to the assembly process and the unresolved root causes of recent chemical spills.

Because of these risks, the Department strongly urges Silfab not to restart assembly operations until the causes of the spills are identified and both the Department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency complete their assessments. They note that EPA has been contacted and the review will be expedited.

The letter emphasizes cooperation but warns that if Silfab resumes assembly before the investigation is complete, the Department will take appropriate legal action. The agency states its commitment to ensuring the safety of employees and the public.

‘Let me be clear’

The attorney for a former employee at Silfab said the state needs to shut operations down permanently.

Jason Rhoades was hired as a quality control tech for Silfab Solar in 2024. He told Channel 9 it wasn’t long before he saw red flags.

When management wouldn’t do anything, he said he brought those concerns to the fire marshal.

This move led to a stop-work order being issued in 2025. Rhoades said he believes that’s why he was fired a month later.

On Thursday, his attorney, Cameron Halford, told Channel 9 it should shock everyone that it took this long for a temporary shutdown.

“I have no confidence that SCDS is going to make this permanent, and they should, let me be clear, they should shut this rogue Canadian corporation down,” said Halford.

Rhoades is currently suing Silfab Solar for wrongful termination and unfair trade practices.

The study

A 2025 University of South Carolina study paid for by concerned neighbors in the Fort Mill community looked at the potential worst case scenario and health impacts of a hydrofluoric acid spill. Researchers produced maps showing yellow, orange and red zones of impact in the event of an accidental chemical spill at Silfab. They claim the results could be deadly in the red zones.

2 incidents, 1 week

This leak comes just two days after a 300-gallon spill of water mixed with potassium hydroxide at the facility on Logistic Lane.

Silfab said Tuesday’s spill was confined to a small area on its property and did not pose a threat to the community, but the incident is now drawing attention from parents and other community members who say concerns about the facility have shifted from a local zoning debate to a broader safety issue.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

It prompted an order to pause operations by SCDES until an investigation into the startup could be completed. The solar plant confirmed it paused chemical deliveries Wednesday.

Now, the fallout from the spill has reached state leaders in Columbia. South Carolina’s attorney general sent a letter to Silfab with a list of questions about safety demanding answers no later than March 13.

A new bill

A South Carolina House subcommittee discussed a new bill during a public hearing on Thursday, which would allow a county or city to withdraw permits if the property is not being used the way it is zoned.

Rep. Martin, the primary sponsor of the bill, cited the Silfab project as motivation for the legislation.

He said they’re still working on some of the language, but he believes House Bill 4293 could pass this session.

“If you’re not zoned correctly, then you need to have your permits pulled and you don’t need to be operating in that location,” Rep. Martin said.

‘We don’t know if we trust this company’

Out of an abundance of caution, district leaders decided to release students at Flint Hill Elementary early Thursday. Late Thursday afternoon, the district said they made the call to allow time to verify there was no threat.

Parents told Channel 9’s Miana Massey their day took and unexpected turn when they received this message from the school:

“We have received confirmation of active incident at Silfab Solar from York County Emergency Management. The county has indicated that there is no danger to the community or our school however, out of an abundance of caution Flint Hill Elementary will be closed today.”

Students who were already on buses were redirected to Pleasant Knoll Middle School early Thursday morning.

“She got up, got on the bus at 8:30, and then suddenly, I get a call around 8:30 that Flint Hill is closed,” Bobby Panuganti, a parent at Flint Hill, said.

Another parent, Lindsay Kerbile, said she got all the way to work in Concord when she got word of the closure and had to turn around.

Throughout the morning, parking lots filled, and long lines wrapped around the football fields at the middle school as parents anxiously awaited their children.

Flint Hill parents wait in line to pick up students after Silfab leak

“It’s just the fact that we don’t know what’s happening, and we don’t know if we trust this company,” Kerbile said.

Beyond the disruption, several parents say the incident adds to concerns about the facility operating so close to the school.

“100%, they shouldn’t have had it opened at all. They shouldn’t have started a school year next to a manufacturing plant,” another parent, Dana Salvato, said. “There’s so many things that they could have done to prevent exactly what is happening today, and they should have had a better plan in place.”

Thursday night, around 50 parents and neighbors met at a local church to call for Silfab to be moved.

Channel 9 spoke with one mother who Chopper 9 Skyzoom saw racing to Flint Hill to pick up her children. She said her biggest request is for Silfab to leave.

“I don’t think there are any amounts of safety protocols you can put in place knowing that it’s right next door to the school. For me, at this point, after two events this week. Until they’re no longer there, I don’t know how safe I’m going to feel, ever,” she explained.

When you must report a chemical leak or spill in SC

When you must report a chemical leak or spill in SC

You don’t have to report every chemical spill or leak, Action 9 attorney Jason Stoogenke says.

And it really comes down to two things.

If you have certain chemicals and a certain amount leaks or spills, you must report it.
If you only have one of those, you may not have to.

At least two federal laws come into play: The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act and the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act.

>>Read more about the laws here.

The promise

In 2023, York County leaders invited Silfab with the promise of tax incentives.

They said the project would create 800 new full-time jobs with an investment of $150 million. It claimed that three-quarters of the jobs would pay $17 an hour with some up to $44 dollars an hour and an annual payroll of more than $34 million.

This is a developing story. Check back with wsoctv.com for updates.

VIDEO: Hazmat team responds to chemical spill at Silfab Solar in Fort Mill