Written by Timothy J. Hegarty, A Concerned Citizen of York County:
As the title indicates, a new feature now adorns the northeast corner of the Silfab Manufacturing Facility just above their logo. This simple feature is a red conical tube designed to indicate wind direction and relative speed and is commonly referred to as a windsock. This windsock made its debut appearance on or about April 1, 2026. You are probably familiar with them having seen them at airports and heliports to assist pilots with landings and take-offs. But there are no landings or take-offs occurring at the Silfab facility so why do they now have a windsock?
A less familiar, but equally vital, use for a windsock is in an industrial safety role. Industrial windsocks are critical, regulation compliant (OHS/HSE Occupational Health and Safety and Health, Safety and Environment) safety tools used at chemical plants, refineries and industrial manufacturing sites to immediately identify wind direction and speed during hazardous gas releases and emergencies. They help identify safe evacuation routes and upwind muster points to direct personnel to safety and provide emergency responders with critical information affecting the surrounding areas. For more information, see http://www.northernsafety.com/ .
I’m sure you recall the events of March 3 and March 5, 2026, when the potassium hydroxide spill and hydrofluoric acid leak that occurred at the Silfab facility were made public. It is worth noting that the windsock referenced earlier was not in place on the northeast corner of the Silfab facility at that time.
As a result of the chemical spill and leak on March 3 and 5, both the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were on site at Silfab and both conducted investigations and inquiries into the cause of the spill and leak. The Silfab facility supposedly remains under an assembly only order from SCDES that is in place through the end of May while SCDES continues to evaluate Silfab’s processes. This limited work order is intended to prohibit the use of the most dangerous regulated chemicals used in the solar cell manufacturing process until the investigation is complete. To date, the specific findings thus far of these inspections/evaluations have not been revealed to the public.
But on or about April 1, 2026, a WINDSOCK appears atop the Silfab facility! This makes one wonder if one or both of those agencies required Silfab to install the windsock in acknowledgement of the dangers proposed by the chemicals stored and used on site and in validation of the heavy industrial chemical manufacturing nature of the processes used at the Silfab facility. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests have been submitted for the investigation results available to date to confirm the very likely cause for the recent appearance of the windsock.
Stay tuned and remember the simple purpose of the windsock. For any future spills or leaks at the Silfab facility, the danger is greatest in the direction that the windsock is pointing, which is downwind. If you live, work or attend school downwind of Silfab, try to get upwind if you can and follow all EMS personnel direction once they arrive on site.
Respectfully,
Timothy J. Hegarty
Concerned York County Citizen and Grandfather
Proud American
SCPIF is not directly affiliated with the litigation of this issue