SCDES, EPA clears Silfab to resume some work; chemical operations still halted

FORT MILL, S.C. — Silfab Solar resumed assembly operations Monday night at its facility bordering Flint Hill Elementary School, despite ongoing safety concerns from parents following a recent chemical incident.

The reopening comes after the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services and the Environmental Protection Agency allowed the company to restart specific portions of its work at 8 p.m.

While assembly is back in motion, manufacturing processes that require hazardous chemicals remain paused at the site.

Company officials stated that the resumption of assembly means workers are putting together finished components. This specific phase of production does not utilize the chemicals that caused concern during an incident last week. Silfab officials recently confirmed that the event was the second chemical-related incident at the plant in a short period of time.

Some parents remain unconvinced by the separation of production stages. Dana Salvato, a parent of a Flint Hill Elementary student, has kept her fourth-grade son home since Friday due to safety concerns.

“I do not feel comfortable at this point sending him back,” Salvato said. She described the company’s resumption of work as moving forward without regard for community sentiment. “They’re really just going full bore with their going to reopen, and there’s no intent to stop,” she said.

The Fort Mill School District has determined that the school can stay open because manufacturing involving hazardous materials is not currently active.

Salvato suggested the district should provide more flexibility for families who are hesitant to send their children to the building.

“I really wish that the school would not only offer an e learning option but that they would rezone these kids back to their original schools before they were transferred out,” Salvato said. She noted her son would likely stay home “until it’s all figured out and it’s truly safe for them to return.”

Concerns regarding the facility extend beyond the school fenceline to residents living nearby.

Sean Jones lives across the street from Flint Hill Elementary and utilizes a personal well, which has heightened his anxiety regarding potential environmental contamination.

“It has us all concerned because we’re on well water,” Jones said. While he feels secure inside his own home, he expressed worry regarding the children at the neighboring school. “I feel safe in my house, I feel bad for the kids and the long-term effects on them,” Jones said.

Both parents and neighbors expressed a lack of clarity regarding the potential dangers posed by the facility’s proximity to the school. Jones said there has been insufficient communication about the risks associated with the plant’s operations.

“I haven’t been informed, I don’t think anybody has, of the worst-case scenario,” Jones said. He added that the community needs to understand the range of “minimal risk to the maximum risk” involved with the site.

Salvato stated that specific conditions must be met before she feels the environment is safe for her child to return to the classroom.

“There would need to be a government agency that comes out and says it is all clear and that Silfab is moved,” Salvato said.

SCDES said manufacturing operations here must remain halted until Silfab satisfies several requirements. Those requirements include retaining a qualified professional engineer who is experienced with evaluating chemical systems and equipment leaks. That person must also provide results to SCDES as well as notify the department as soon as possible of any future leaks.

Just after 10 p.m., a situation unfolded at the Silfab facility. Channel 9 crews heard an alarm coming from the building; shortly after, employees began to exit.

Several police vehicles then appeared on the property but eventually left as workers went back inside.

The brief evacuation lasted for about 45 minutes.

Silfab Solar responded with the following statement Tuesday morning:

“Last night at the Silfab Solar Fort Mill facility in one of the external buildings, our highly sensitive monitoring equipment activated our internal alarm. Neighbors heard the alarm and called 911 and the Sheriff was dispatched. After inspection, the Sheriff determined there was no concern for public safety. There was no danger to employees or the community.”

VIDEO: Inside the chemical drip at Silfab Solar