Neighbors of BWXT discuss rezoning request ahead of commission vote

Gabriel Wilson still has questions about the proposed expansion of depleted uranium manufacturing at a facility near Jonesborough. A recent public information session hosted by BWXT left residents with lingering questions and limited opportunities for community discussion. "I don't know exactly where the building will be because they haven't released a site plan that's a proper rendering yet," Wilson said. "However, it could be as close as 50 feet from my kids' playhouse and a couple hundred feet from my back porch. So I care a lot about it because it just seems, for me, concerning to have something of this magnitude so close to my kids." Residents concerned about the proposed expansion gathered Thursday in Jonesborough as Washington County prepares to consider a rezoning request tied to BWXT Ordnance Tennessee's operations. The meeting, hosted by Neighbors of BWXT and Protect Jonesborough at the Jonesborough Visitors Center, focused on a proposal to rezone about 128 acres of BWXT-owned property from agricultural and residential use to high-impact manufacturing. The rezoning ordinance is scheduled for its first reading before the Washington County Planning Commission on Jan. 6. BWXT operates a facility at 1367 Old State Route 34 that manufactures special alloy components for the U.S. Department of Defense, including products made with depleted uranium, and has purification capabilities for depleted and natural uranium. The company purchased the former Aerojet Ordnance Tennessee site from L3Harris in 2024. Washington County Mayor Joe Grandy and several county commissioners attended the meeting, which featured comments from organizers and invited speakers, including a former Aerojet employee, retired chemist Michael Ketterer, and Vina Colley, president of Portsmouth-Piketon Residents for Environmental Safety and Security, a community group formed near a uranium enrichment site in Ohio. Organizers said opposition to the rezoning has grown in recent weeks. Wilson, one of the organizers, said the group has collected about 35,000 signatures opposing the rezoning through online petitions and physical sign-up sheets, with about 62% of those signatures listing zip codes near the BWXT facility. He said his concerns led him to research high-purity depleted uranium and its impacts in other communities. Several speakers presented findings or concerns they said raised questions about environmental, health and safety implications of the proposed expansion. Kevin Hendricks, a community member who compiled a presentation, pointed to what he described as inconsistencies in information shared by BWXT during its Dec. 11 public information session. "When you look at the things that are going on, from a safety point of view, there's been no environmental impact study," Hendricks said. Hendricks also questioned emergency preparedness and coordination with local agencies. "I see no apparent discussions with Washington County for things like fire emergency management issues," he said. "There is no site specific emergency plan for that facility." He said the expansion, which would include two additional buildings on the rezoned property, could also affect traffic, waste transport and nearby schools. "Another thing going on inside of it is traffic safety," Hendricks said. "There's a school right there, as Davy Crockett High School is nearby." Hendricks said his concerns reside in keeping residents safe. "We're all supportive of our military," he said. "But this is the wrong location for processing uranium. Washington County is responsible for keeping county citizens safe and looking out for them." Wilson echoed that view, saying he does not oppose BWXT's mission but believes the location raises risks. "This is plopped right in the middle of a farm community with houses and neighborhoods, and then only a mile from Davy Crockett High School," Wilson said. "It's in the watershed for the Nolichucky, which is our drinking water supply. This seems like a very unwise location."