Residents Voice Their Anger Over Manufacturing Plant Coming To Fort Mill

YORK COUNTY, S. C. – Hundreds gathered at the York County Government Center Monday night to voice their outrage over the new Silfab Solar panel manufacturing plant coming to Fort Mill.

So many were in attendance that they filled up three separate rooms.

The issue was first brought up last month at a zoning board meeting. Residents said they were concerned with the location of the new plant, with it being directly next to two new Fort Mill schools.

The zoning board decided at that meeting to stop the manufacturing plant from moving to Logistics Lane. Later that same month, DHEC gave a permit to Silfab, despite it being considered heavy manufacturing in a light industrial district.

Neighbors tell WCCB Charlotte’s Emma Mondo that they are also furious that a letter they demanded be sent from county council to Silfab, telling it that it cannot move in, has not been sent.

“There are 52,415 people within that three mile buffer zone, “ said one angry resident. “I am a full-time working mom of a toddler, and I found the time to get all of this information together today. Why hasn’t the letter been sent?”

Another parent from Fort Mill spoke outside the meeting with WCCB. She didn’t want to be named, but says she is terrified of the threat that comes from a potential disaster at the plant near her home. She says, “My two girls would very likely be rezoned to the two new schools. So its very scary.” Her 11-year-old daughter echoed her mothers concern. The girl says, “My sister and I just want to go to school to learn, not to die.”

Silfab did send WCCB a statement, saying, “The safety and well-being of both our community and employees are paramount to Silfab Solar, and we’re committed to being a respectful neighbor. We understand that the community has concerns regarding our operations and can assure York County that we have taken extraordinary steps to reduce any risk to neighbors, going above and beyond what local and federal regulations require. We look forward to continuing to provide the facts to the community and welcome any opportunity to correct the misinformation that has been spread about our project.”

In a previous version of this report, we inaccurately stated that county council gave a permit to Silfab. The organization that gave a permit to Silfab was DHEC.