South Carolina's environmental agency halted chemical shipments to Silfab Solar's solar panel manufacturing plant in York County following a spill Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at the recently opened site. (File photo/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA — South Carolina’s environmental agency halted incoming chemical shipments pending an investigation at a controversial solar panel manufacturing plant Tuesday following a spill at the recently opened site in York County.
Silfab Solar spilled 300 gallons of potassium hydroxide solution at its location in the Charlotte suburb of Fort Mill, less than 2 miles from the North Carolina border.
The odorless chemical is used in a number of household products, including paint removers and drain cleaner. In solar panel production, the chemical dissolved in water makes it easier for solar panels to absorb the light needed for energy production.
The company contained most of the chemical spill but some reached a nearby stormwater retention pond, according to a letter sent to the company by Myra Reece, director of the state Department of Environmental Services.
In a statement following the spill, the company said it notified county emergency management and there was no danger to public safety.
Still, a pair of state senators who represent York County residents called for state regulators to step in and investigate. While the company has yet to begin operations at the facility, officials had cleared it to begin stocking up on the necessary chemicals.
“Given that such an incident occurred a mere two weeks after Silfab was approved to bring these chemicals in for operations, we have grave concerns about the professionalism of the company and their ability to both recognize and adhere to state regulations put in place to protect members of our community,” reads a joint statement from state Sens. Michael Johnson, of Tega Cay, and Wes Climer, of Rock Hill, who’s running for Congress.
The two Republicans said Reece had their “utmost support in remedying this matter by any and all means available.”
That did little to assuage longtime opponents of the site, located off the Gold Hill Road exit of Interstate 77. Large nearby neighborhoods include Regent Park. It’s also just north of Fort Mill School District’s largest elementary school, which opened last August.
Residents have pushed back against Silfab locating on the property due to the use of hazardous chemicals, including hydrochloric acid, anhydrous ammonia, silane and hydroflouric acid, in its solar cell- and panel-making process. Uses for these chemicals include rust removal, fertilizer, herbicides and waterproofing, to name a few.
Some 8,000 people have signed an online petition opposing the site, according to Scott Jenson who leads the citizen group calling itself Move Silfab.
The opponents argue county officials should not have allowed the company to manufacture solar cells in a light industrial area and even commissioned a study, conducted by University South Carolina professors, modeling the potential health risks.
Jenson said he was “disheartened” and “frustrated” by news of the spill but wasn’t necessarily surprised.
“I hope this a wakeup call for the public,” he told the SC Daily Gazette. “Get educated because this is not theoretical anymore. This is real life.”
Jenson went on to say he has little confidence that any penalties environmental investigators may impose will be more than a slap on the wrist.
According to the company’s fall 2023 announcement, the site was expected to be operational a year later. But the start date has been continually pushed back amid legal and permitting troubles.
Residents and groups have filed multiple ongoing lawsuits against Silfab, the state Department of Environmental Services and York County over the permitting process that allowed for the development to happen.
Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, who is a Republican candidate for governor, also waded into the fray Tuesday.
“Regardless of what caused this leak and its ultimate resolution, residents and parents deserve answers,” she wrote on social media.
“Silfab must be held accountable — providing assurances that these chemicals are properly contained, will not cause harm, and that adequate plans are in place for future spills or emergencies.”
Previously, Republican U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, another gubernatorial candidate whose congressional district covers Silfab’s plant, hosted an informational session between residents and state officials in 2024 amid the site’s controversy.
On Wednesday, Attorney General Alan Wilson released a letter he sent to the company demanding answers about the spill. His letter, dated Tuesday, seeks a response by March 13.
“Nearby residents and particularly parents of children at the Flint Hill Elementary School next door are expressing serious and legitimate concerns regarding their safety and their children’s safety,” Wilson, who’s also running for governor, said in the release.
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Editor’s note: This article was updated Wednesday with Alan Wilson weighing in.
Courtesy of South Carolina Daily Gazette
