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Nothing can possibly go worng was Silfab’s position when asked about the safety measures in place to prevent the release of the witch’s brew of hazardous chemicals stored and used in its facility. As noted in Palmetto State Watch Foundation’s February 2026 article, Silfab Fort Mill- Seems the Fix is In, the The Post and Courier reported that Silfab disagreed with the USC Department of Environmental Health Sciences et al reports stating, “None of the reports, Silfab said, includes the company’s actual processes and safety measures used to assess worst-case scenarios.”

Apparently, the company only considered “worst case scenarios” like hurricanes, tornado and earthquakes and figured there was no need to plan for a simple chemical spill or leak. Perhaps they thought the Tooth Fairy would fly in to take care of such situations.

They were no doubt reeling in disbelief when the Tooth Fairy never showed up on March 3^rd when, according to a report in FITSNews, an email was sent to parents of children attending Flint Hill Elementary School announcing 1,530 gallons of potassium hydroxide, a corrosive chemical, leaked out of a tank. Keep in mind that the Silfab plant is not yet completely operational. That seems to be a pretty strong indication of incompetence, disregard for required safety measures or both.

Given the potassium hydroxide leak, it would seem that all operation at the plant would be stopped. The same day as the chemical leak, South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (DES) notified Silfab that, “We believe it is appropriate for Silfab to cease receipt of any additional chemicals at the facility and pause start-up until an investigation can be completed. The facility shall fully cooperate and take all appropriate action to ensure the safety of the public and the environment.” (Emphasis added.)

Fortunately, potassium hydroxide is one of the less harmful chemicals that Silfab is using for solar cell and/or solar panel production. It most likely won’t cause death. But that doesn’t mean you can breathe easy if you come in contact with potassium hydroxide. According to the chemical’s safety data sheet, it’s harmful if swallowed, causes severe skin burns and eye damage and may cause respiratory irritation. On March 4^th, an ambulance was on site at the Silfab facility reportedly to address an employee complaint of vomiting and severe breathing complications.

But wait, there’s more. Silfab appears to be the bad news gift that keeps on giving. In addition to the potassium hydroxide leak, there was also a hydrofluoric acid leak reported on Thursday, March 5^th. Hydroflouric acid isn’t merely hazardous, it is potentially lethal. As noted in Silfab Fort Mill- Seems the Fix is In, the data sheet for hydrofluoric acid states,

“Hazard Statements

May be corrosive to metals

Causes severe skin burns and eye damage

May cause respiratory irritation

Fatal if swallowed, in contact with skin or if inhaled“

But wait–you guessed it–there’s even more. It appears that Silfab employees have been experiencing symptoms of exposure to hazardous chemicals since mid-February. We are still accumulating reliable documentation about a previous leak and resulting illness incidents. But the current hydrofluoric acid leak is well documented. According to a WBTV report, “However, on Friday, March 6, (Greg) Basden (Silfab Director of Operations) said that Thursday’s leak was initially discovered last week. According to Basden, the facility received a shipment of hydrofluoric acid. When it was offloaded, they saw a small drip at the base of the tank.”

That indicates Silfab management knew about the leak for a week and did nothing to fix the problem. But you have to give credit where credit is due. They did put red tape across the doorway to the area where the hydrofluoric acid was dripping and a sign warning of a “Hazardous Condition”.

The signs do not address the fact that sooner or later, the door will have to be opened, which will allow hydrofluoric fumes out to flow through the building and into the atmosphere.

As of March 9^th, this story was still evolving. On March 5^th, the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) sent a letter to Silfab demanding an immediate cessation of all operations pending the completion of an inspection by DES and the United Stated Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Apparently, Silfab ignored the directive because operations continued. Thursday night and on Friday. It does appear that beginning late Friday or early Saturday, all manufacturing operations had stopped.

At the time of this writing, the results of the DES and EPA investigations have not been released.

More to come…

*Mispelling intentional. (think about it)

Original illustration by Eric Allie.