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Parents press Fort Mill board to press York County, state over chemical storage near Flint Hill schools
Summary
Multiple parents told the Fort Mill board that chemical incidents at a nearby SLAB/Sulfab/Silab project continue to disrupt school operations and threaten student safety; they urged the board to make its March 10 resolution enforceable, attend county zoning hearings, and escalate to state officials.
Three parents and community members used the public-comment period to press the Fort Mill School District to do more after the board's March 10 resolution on nearby chemical storage.
Lisa Gunter, a parent of a Flint Hill student and a clinical social worker, told the board the "ongoing situation with SLAB Solar has had real impacts on Flint Hill students and families with repeated anxiety, uncertainty about health and safety, multiple chemical spill incidents that disrupted instruction and normal operations, and unclear follow-up plans." She urged the board to "keep pressing until it's permanent and enforceable" and to publish a written safety continuity plan for Flint Hill families.
Melissa Maynard said the March 10 resolution mattered, but "a resolution cannot be the end of this story." She urged the board to "show up where your decisions are being made," specifically by attending York County Council meetings, pushing the attorney general's office and the governor if needed, and ensuring district concerns are heard by the agencies that have zoning and enforcement authority.
Tracy Smith, who said she lost a daughter, told the board the community "is not calming down" and that reported incidents and continued plant operations show that a resolution alone carries no legal weight. She said emergency responders have had limited access during incidents and asked the board to stand with the community.
Board members acknowledged the concerns, noted the March 10 resolution calling for assembly-only operations and removal of hazardous chemicals, and were urged repeatedly to escalate advocacy beyond the district. The board did not vote or adopt new enforcement measures at the meeting; several speakers asked the board to return to county and state decisionmakers with clearer demands and timelines.
