After months of debate and repeatedly postponed meetings, the Washington County Commission voted Monday 10 to 5 in favor of rezoning a portion of nuclear technology company BWXT’s land for the construction of a facility on the edge of Jonesborough which will refine depleted uranium for the federal government.
Hundreds of locals showed out to pack multiple courtrooms at the county justice center, many of which were opposed to the project. Residents first learned about the company’s plans in October and immediately became worried about the potential for health and environmental impacts should radioactive material be released into the air or water.
Local musician Gabriel Wilson was one of the first people living nearby to learn about it. He spent months organizing community members in opposition to the plans, distributing a petition online and in-person which he says collectively garnered over 10,000 signatures.
“I was actually pretty surprised,” Wilson said immediately following Monday’s vote. “But at the end of the day, there's a lot of pressure on our commission from state government [and] from federal government. Our country right now is in a semi-hot war in the Middle East, and I think that all of that plays into the atmosphere around a decision like this that can't be ignored.”
BWXT acquired an existing munitions facility on Old State Route 34 in Jonesborough early last year, and quickly bid on a contract solicited by the federal government to produce high purity depleted uranium, a key component in nuclear weapons.
The U.S. Department of Energy says it desperately needs depleted uranium metal to modernize the nation’s warheads at the direction of President Donald Trump. Depleted uranium is different from the enriched uranium used in the warhead’s core – instead, it’s used as a shield surrounding the fissile material which makes the nuclear detonation stronger.
Though not as dangerous as enriched uranium, the Environmental Protection Agency says the material is a severe health hazard that can damage kidneys and other parts of the body if ingested or inhaled. Locals worry it could accidentally end up in Little Limestone Creek, a tributary of the Nolichucky River which runs right through BWXT’s property.
“We're often told that uranium processing is necessary for national security, that manufacturing these materials protects us, that contaminating our land and water is an acceptable trade off for defense,” said Jonesborough resident Natalie Viglione. “But national security that requires poisoning communities is not true security."
The Washington County Regional Planning Commission had previously voted against BWXT’s rezone request in January, a decision which required a two-thirds majority from the larger county commission to overrule. Some commissioners cited BWXT’s promises of economic benefits and job creation as reasons for their vote in favor of the rezone.
Kenneth Huffine of the 13th district cast a yes vote, citing the company’s “generational” impact on the area’s economy, and saying it was worth the risk.
“At a time of a very uncertain economy, that’s a factor for us,” Huffine said. “There's risk in life. I think every time we all get in our automobiles, we accept more and more risk every day. It comes down to what's the risk of doing something? What's the risk of not doing something?”
Multiple members of BWXT’s management were present at the meeting to speak in favor of their request to rezone, including Ron Dailey, the company’s president of Tennessee operations.
“Safety remains our top priority,” Dailey said. “This work is critical to ensuring that our military remains well equipped and that our nation's safety is upheld as well.”
The company has insisted its expanded facility will make use of state of the art safety controls which will ensure no contamination to the surrounding environment. Local resident Renault Dubberley is a retired employee of the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, where he says he worked with depleted uranium for several years. He spoke at the commission meeting in favor of the project, saying the material is safe.
“This industry has always been safe,” Dubberley said. “This facility has been without issue for over 50 years. So to be turned down because people think that we're fixing to build nuclear bombs here is just not right.”
But locals remain skeptical. Jonesborough resident Anna Wright says she and her husband have been in talks with a realtor out-of-state to seek a new home if the refinery gets up and running.
“We are looking at other places,” Wright said. “I can't in good conscience, as a mother, stay here … I'm hopeful that there'll be opportunities to stop it, but I need to have a backup plan for my family.”
The final vote to allow BWXT to rezone 56 acres of its property from agricultural to high impact industrial was 10 to 5. Commissioners Ben Carder, Josh Edens, Jerome Fitzgerald, Jodi Jones and Greg Matherly voted against the rezone. Bryan Davenport, Larry England, Kenneth Huffine, Marty Johnson, Freddie Malone, David Stout, David Tomita, Richard Tucker, Lewis Wexler and Jim Wheeler voted for the rezone.
Some residents decried the vote as a failure of the democratic process, vowing to take legal action. Others, like Gabriel Wilson, say they’re not sure what will happen next.
“Folks really cared about this,” Wilson said. “And I love that people got involved. Regardless of this outcome, I'm very grateful to the community support that was shown.”
BWXT says its plans must now go to various federal regulators for review. Under their contract, production of high purity depleted uranium must begin by the end of 2028.
