'I don't want Jonesborough to become a dirty uranium town'

Tears dotted his eyes. Dozens of people were gathered around him. He feared what could become of his community. "I don't want Jonesborough to become a dirty uranium town," Gabriel Wilson, co-founder of Protect Jonesborough, said. "And I don't mean that to slag other towns, but there are places that have hedged their bet that this would actually work and all that's happened is they become cleanup sites." Dozens of citizens gathered outside the George P. Jaynes Justice Center eager to have their voices heard by the County Commission. The parking lot was filled with citizens wearing bright yellow shirts reading, "Say 'NO' to high purity depleted uranium processing in Jonesborough.". Signs that read "Protect Jonesborough; NO URANIUM CONTAMINATION" were seen in the hands of people as they walked into the building. Wilson started a petition on Change.org with the same hopes he had going door to door — to spread awareness. Currently, the petition has more than 5,000 signatures online. Many petitioners have commented with concerns of their livelihood, agriculture and the environment that surrounds them. Some commenters have said that they plan to move if BWXT's plans are approved. Wilson began his protest back in early Nov. 2025 after receiving a letter in the mail notifying him of BWXT's rezoning plans. From there, he went door to door eager to gather a crowd in hopes that his neighbors would join him in the fight against keeping uranium out of Washington County at the Nov. 4, 2025, meeting. Wilson said that during his encounters nobody knew what he was referring to and they were eager to learn more. "I remember telling my daughter, I hope that 10 people come … and we got there and a couple hundred people were there," Wilson said. "It blew my mind — I couldn't even believe it." The Nov. 4 meeting was rescheduled to Tuesday by a request made by BWXT. This allowed Wilson more time to widen his reach. Wilson's property is close to the land bought by BWXT. He said he is concerned of the environmental effects that could arise if BWXT's plans are approved. "It's right next to me," Wilson said. "I have 2,200 linear feet of fence line in my farm next to them and it's right on top of the floodplain to the little Limestone Creek, which supplies water to the Nolichucky … so it affects the water supply." Wilson said that he is not against anyone, including BWXT. "We're not necessarily even against the work they want to do," Wilson said. "You don't place work like this next to homes and next to farms … within a one-mile radius of your high school and you certainly don't place it in a place that affects your water supply. All of that just seems very unwise."