The Fort Mill School District will be hosting a large community forum today, October 21, to address growing safety concerns over the Silfab Solar factory located next door to Flint Hill Elementary and Middle Schools.
To evaluate environmental risks, the district has hired Citadel EHS, an environmental health and safety firm, to monitor pollution levels. Citadel completed baseline air-quality testing around the Flint Hill campuses a couple months ago and plans to continue periodic monitoring. District officials said they are also considering continuous air-quality tracking if the Silfab plant becomes operational.
This decision follows years of public pressure. Hundreds of parents have repeatedly asked the district to meet with them or hire an independent consultant. Only after years of appeals and repeated pleas at school board meetings did the district decide to hire Citadel.
Back in February, parents sought help from the Southeastern Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (SE PEHSU) at Emory University, a nationally recognized organization funded by the EPA and CDC.
Experts from SE PEHSU voiced serious concerns about the proximity of heavy industrial operations to schools. Dr. Abby Mutic, the unit’s director, warned that many of Silfab’s chemicals, including anhydrous ammonia, hydrofluoric acid, and silane—pose potential risks to children and families nearby. She urged local decision-makers to commission an independent evaluation of the plant’s health and safety impacts.
The SE PEHSU cited several public health dangers, including toxic exposures that can harm developing brains and lungs, as well as the risk of chemical leaks or explosions. The group noted that if Silfab’s acid scrubber system fails, it could take up to an hour before the company is required to report the malfunction.
Further intensifying local concern, a recent University of South Carolina report analyzed Silfab’s chemical inventory and found that, in a worst-case scenario, a hydrofluoric acid release could travel up to 2.4 miles, with potentially fatal consequences for anyone exposed.
Tonight’s forum will take place from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Nation Ford High School Auditorium, located at 1400 A.O. Jones Blvd in Fort Mill.
Experts from Citadel EHS will present their air-quality findings and answer community questions alongside district leaders.
The meeting represents a pivotal moment for the Fort Mill community, where parents, educators, and experts will finally share one platform to discuss the safety of more than 2,000 children learning within two miles of a heavy industrial site that plans on storing and using over 1 million pounds of explosive and toxic chemicals.
