FORT MILL, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — An overnight alarm at the Silfab Solar facility in Fort Mill prompted neighbors to call 911, but authorities said there was no danger to the public.
In a new statement, Silfab Solar said its monitoring system triggered an internal alarm overnight at the company’s Fort Mill site.
“Last night at the Silfab Solar Fort Mill facility in one of the external buildings, our highly sensitive monitoring equipment activated our internal alarm,” the company said.
Neighbors heard the alarm and contacted emergency services. The York County Sheriff’s Office responded to the facility to investigate.
“Neighbors heard the alarm and called 911 and the Sheriff was dispatched,” the statement said. “After inspection, the Sheriff determined there was no concern for public safety. There was no danger to employees or the community.”
The alarm comes as the company’s new solar panel plant remains under scrutiny following two known chemical leaks last week.
Silfab Solar allowed to resume operations
On Monday, York County Government said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services had allowed Silfab Solar to resume assembly operations at the plant after officials conducted a site visit.
However, manufacturing operations remain on hold. Manufacturing would involve the use of potassium hydroxide and hydrofluoric acid, the two chemicals involved in leaks reported at the facility last week.
The decision to allow assembly to resume drew criticism from some community members.
Brandon Dunford, a member of the local opposition group Move Silfab, called the decision “bad news.”
“This movement will continue to push and pressure until Silfab relocates somewhere else. We’re not anti-Silfab. We’re not anti-solar panels. What we are is just anti them right next door to a school and in this area densely populated within this community,” Dunford said.
Meanwhile, Fort Mill Schools told Queen City News that about 99 of the district’s 803 elementary school students were absent Monday, though officials said it is not possible to directly link those absences to concerns about the solar plant.
