Silfab Solar agrees to pause manufacturing after chemical leak

Silfab Solar, a manufacturer of solar panels, announced March 6 that it had agreed to cease solar panel production at its Fort Mill, South Carolina facility, following a second incident involving an accidental release of chemicals into the environment around the plant. According to local news source WBTV 3, the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services instructed the factory to pause production pending investigation after county officials learned of a March 5 hydroflauric acid leak in the building. The leak was reportedly contained in the building and posed no public health risk.

That followed a March 3 incident in which Silfab Solar said it had accidentally released 300 gallons of 0.03% potassium hydroxide. In a public notice, the solar panel manufacturer reported the spill posed “no danger to public safety.” According to WBTV 3, most of the spill was contained by a retaining pool, but some had to be mitigated by HAZMAT crews.

In its most recent update, posted March 6, Silfab Solar said it would pause production operations at the site through the weekend and that it would resume production the evening of March 9, following reviews from the Environmental Protection Agency and the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services.

On its website, Silfab Solar says it aims to prevent the use of chemicals in its manufacturing process from harming its workers or environment. “The company has taken best in class steps to reduce any risk to our employees, their families and neighboring communities,” the company said. It adds that hydrochloric acid is used for food processing, hydrofluoric acid is used in common pharmaceuticals, and silane is used to develop laptops and other tech products.

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