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Residents urge York County to inspect Silfab facility near Flint Hill schools over alleged chemical operations
Summary
Speakers at York County Council public forum said Silfab operated production lines and stored hazardous materials at a Fort Mill facility near Flint Hill Elementary and Middle schools and called for stepped-up inspections after a June stop-work order and repeated sprinkler activations.
Brandon Langford, a Fort Mill resident, told York County Council during the public forum that Silfab converted a light-industrial warehouse into a chemical manufacturing site less than a few hundred yards from Flint Hill Elementary and Middle schools and has operated without required permits since May 9, 2024.
"Silfab has spent millions of dollars transforming a light industrial warehouse into a chemical manufacturing center, less than 3 football fields away from 825 precious children at Flint Hill Elementary in Fort Mill," Langford said. He described a June 24 stop-work order after a Silfab employee alerted a county building inspector and alleged the company continued operations by dismissing workers on inspection days.
Another speaker, Frank Jernak of Fort Mill, described repeated sprinkler activations at Silfab in August and cited an affidavit from a former employee alleging staff were required to work before occupancy permits were issued. Jernak said Silfab filings indicate the presence of flammable gases, pyrophoric substances, hydrofluoric acid and phosphorus oxychloride and that activating sprinklers around such chemicals could create a chemical emergency.
Both speakers asked the council to increase surprise inspections and enforce permitting requirements. Langford asked, "When will you enforce the law and prevent people from getting hurt? Which is more important, 800 jobs that may never come or the safety of workers and 825 children?"
County staff did not respond with new enforcement actions during the public forum. No council motion or formal county action on Silfab was recorded in the meeting transcript. The speakers provided materials to the county clerk and urged inspectors to prioritize permit compliance and community safety.
The speakers identified the alleged timeline and incidents as follows: permits in effect since May 9, 2024; a whistleblower alert and surprise inspection on June 23–24, 2024 leading to a stop-work order; an alleged whistleblower termination on July 7, 2024; and multiple sprinkler activations in August (Aug. 9, 14, 15 and 20, according to a speaker).
The council did not take immediate formal action on the record at the meeting. Residents asked staff and county leaders to step up surprise inspections, provide clear findings to the public, and confirm permits and hazardous-material controls at the Silfab site.
