While most South Carolina gubernatorial candidates have been speaking out against Silfab Solar’s heavy industrial Fort Mill factory, one candidate, Congressman Ralph Norman, has largely avoided the subject and attempted to downplay his role in bringing the project to York County.
There’s now growing backlash over Norman’s public support, pressure tactics, campaign contributions, and the federal grants that allowed Silfab to lease a light industrial distribution building from the Rockefellers and transform it into a heavy industrial factory next to our schools.
Back in 2024, after growing public outrage over York County ignoring the BZA ruling and issuing permits to Silfab, Norman decided to hold a public forum in an attempt to silence the growing outrage.
During his forum, Norman downplayed the fact that he took campaign contributions from Silfab’s lobbying firm (SEIA), to being the co-founder of the Congressional Solar Caucus, and to personally pressuring the York County Council to approve Silfab’s chemical facility next to our schools, all while lying about the chemicals and yelling at residents.
At timestamp 1:46:35 Norman said “…I talked to [York County] council members when they asked my support for the [Silfab’s] fee in lieu and I agreed with that, so they wanted me to call people, so yes…people called me and said they may have trouble getting their [Silfab’s] fee in lieu – I said, ‘that’s not right’ – I make calls at time if they ask me to. Somebody said call somebody, so I did that…”
At timestamp 1:34:02 Norman said, “I didn’t know what silane was until I started looking at it – there’s 5,000 different types [of silane], it’s in concrete that you drive on – there are more chemicals at Home Depot and Walmart…I’m not at all concerned about it after looking into it.”
These statements prove especially damning. Norman misled the audience by claiming thousands of harmless silane varieties exist in everyday products like concrete. In reality, the silane used at Silfab is specifically SiH4 (according to numerous public documents) — a single, highly dangerous compound. Silane (aka SiH4) is pyrophoric and ignites spontaneously on contact with air. It is extremely explosive and toxic. Silfab’s own documents show the plant stores 26,456 pounds of this high-hazard gas.
The factory also holds 15,850 gallons of hydrofluoric acid — fatal if inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through skin. It plans on storing massive amounts of anhydrous ammonia, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, boron trichloride, trimethylaluminum, phosphorus oxychloride, and numerous other deadly and highly-explosive chemicals, according to company documents.
These hazards now show real consequences. Workers suffer repeated medical emergencies after multiple chemical spills at the plant. Recent calls include a 23-year-old man struggling to breathe, a 25-year-old woman vomiting blood, seizures, chest pain, high blood pressure and gas leaks that sickened employees.
By comparing the factory to Home Depot shelves, Norman implied everyday stores pose greater danger. His words misled the public and built false support for Silfab while residents feared for nearby schools.
Federal support flowed to Silfab. In May 2024, the company won a $5 million grant from the Solar Energy Technologies Office. Norman’s district secured the project. Meanwhile, OpenSecrets records show Norman received campaign contributions from Silfab’s lobbying group, SEIA.
Then came the big legislative move. The House voted on President Trump’s major bill. Norman held out at first as the tie-breaking vote. He negotiated numerous changes to the bill, and then voted yes. Those changes significantly helped Silfab’s Fort Mill factory in several ways.
Silfab already had its grants, permits, and $100 million private funding locked in. Heavy tariffs on Chinese imports gave Silfab a major edge. Competitors still seeking approvals faced a capital drought. Many canceled or downsized U.S. factories.
Norman’s changes significantly protected Silfab’s Fort Mill factory. His changes built a moat around Silfab while blocking newer rivals.
Fort Mill residents continue to fight. Many demand the factory relocate to a proper heavy industrial zone.
Norman maintains local decisions rest with county officials. Yet his federal actions, his local political pressure, and his pro-Silfab forum clearly shaped the outcome.
