The Fort Mill School District has filed a counterclaim lawsuit against Silfab Solar and York County, arguing that the ongoing legal dispute over the solar panel manufacturer overlooks health and safety concerns for thousands of students and staff at nearby schools.
The Rock Hill Herald reports the district's school board authorized the legal action late last month after Silfab and York County sued each other over whether the company's planned manufacturing operation is permitted at its Fort Mill site.
In their filings, Silfab and the county have asked a judge to determine whether the company is bound by a separate judge's ruling issued in July. That ruling upheld a decision by the York County Board of Zoning Appeals that found solar panel manufacturing is not allowed at the site under its light industrial zoning designation.
The school district's counterclaim argues that the legal battle has failed to adequately address potential health and safety impacts on students and employees at schools located next to the proposed manufacturing facility.
Silfab has appealed the July zoning decision to the South Carolina Court of Appeals.