Depleted uranium company gains approval in rural East Tennessee

Residents in Washington County, Tennessee, will see an expansion from a nearby depleted uranium facility in rural Northeast Tennessee.

Some 10,000 people signed a petition opposing the expansion of the nearby depleted uranium site in Jonesborough, the state’s oldest town. They made neon yellow shirts displaying their plea for “no uranium contamination in East Tennessee.” They filled three courtrooms during Monday night’s meeting to see if the Washington County Commission would vote for or against BWX Technologies’ 56-acre rezoning request to take the company’s property from agricultural and residential zonings to high impact use. 

But, the Washington County Commission approved BWXT’s request in a 10-5 vote — just meeting the required 10 votes for approval.

BWXT’s rezoning is part of its expansion plan to fulfill its $1.6 billion contract with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration to provide high purity depleted uranium, or HPDU, which is used for nuclear weapons technology, tank armor and projectiles. 

The company is the only U.S. supplier of high purity depleted uranium to the federal government. 

Monday’s approval followed BWXT’s announcement of the contract and company plans to build an HPDU manufacturing plant in Jonesborough in September.

The community came with concerns

The commission limited its public hearing session to one hour for those in opposition of the rezoning and one hour for those in favor. The 15-member commission heard from a spectrum of citizens in opposition of the zoning, including 7-year-old Jonesborough resident, Diana Wright.

Diana lives on a five-acre farm about a mile from the proposed expansion site, along with her father, Trey, mother, Anna and younger sister, Helen.

“This is my home,” Diana told commissioners. “I love it here. I really don’t want to move. If this factory is built one mile from my home, my family will have to move far away to keep us safe.

“I don’t understand everything about uranium or money, but I do understand what it feels like to lose something you love and that no amount of money can replace it,” she said.

Following Monday night’s vote, the Wrights are reluctantly considering a move from their Jonesborough home.

“I don’t think it’s safe to live that close to the facility,” Anna Wright, 42, told Tennessee Lookout. “I could not in good conscience expose my children. I’m not comfortable with it.”

“I think there’s still a lot of process to play out,” Anna Wright said. “I don’t think they’ve necessarily cleared a lot of the regulatory hurdles that they spoke about. I think we’re a long way from where they are officially permitted, built and up and running. I look forward to the next phase of this because there’s a lot to go.”

A chief concern among the community are flood plains — areas that experienced historic levels of flooding when Hurricane Helene struck the region in 2024.

“I stood on the land where the facility is planned,” said Commissioner Jodi Jones, before voting against the rezoning. “It’s hilly. It’s not the kind of land you build this huge thing on. Look at our industrial park. It’s flat. You have to build a road across (Little Limestone Creek) to expand any sort of industrial use here and that means navigating the flood zone.”

“To me — without even taking into account the potential hazards for the specific use proposed by BWXT — the expansion is a poor fit for the land and the character of the community. It is disruptive infrastructure in a quiet, rural neighborhood,” Jones said.

For Commissioner Kenneth Huffine, the vote in favor of the rezoning involved national security.

“(National defense) is a component of this, at least to me,” Huffine said. “We are known as the Volunteer State, whether it was over the mountain, Davy Crockett going to Texas or the countless people who have served in our military and made ultimate sacrifices.”

BWXT President Ron Dailey said the company aims to provide national security support. 

“By producing HPDU we enhance our capacity to provide essential materials for the nation’s defense, Dailey said. “This work is critical in ensuring our military remains well equipped and that our nation’s safety is upheld as well.”

Those in favor of the rezoning also addressed BWXT’s economic impact.

Johnson City/Jonesborough/Washington County Chamber President and CEO Bob Cantler said BWXT is a shot in the arm for a county that has recently seen lay offs and a list of employers leave the area.

“With the workforce reductions with JTEKT, Nakatetsu, US Endodontics and AT&T, our community has taken a hit in employment,” Cantler said. “We need the careers from this expansion. This would inject millions of dollars into our economy through contracts, local suppliers, construction firms and manufacturing projects.”

Dailey said the company’s expansion will offer 175 permanent jobs within the community.

“We will continue to respect that relationship and will continue that dialogue as we move forward,” Dailey said. “There’s nothing more important than being a respectful member of the community in this situation.”