Grandy to BWXT: 'Be up front'

Mayor Joe Grandy said he spoke previously with BWX Technologies the phone advising the company to engage with the community before public backlash happened over a proposed expansion of its facility in Jonesborough. "My suggestion was to be up front, try to lay out the plan and provide information as best they could," Grandy told the Johnson City Press. BWX Technologies is seeking to rezone a parcel in Washington County near Jonesborough from agricultural to high-impact manufacturing. Controversy has been sparked due to the company dealing with using depleted uranium in its manufacturing process. Grandy said BWXT produced fact sheets as well as holding an open public meeting held in December where community members were able to ask questions and answers were provided by employees of the existing plant. Despite this, he said the company has fallen short on the information provided to the public. Grandy said it is important for the public, and especially the county commission, to have all the information needed to make an educated decision concerning the rezoning request. The planning commission denied BWXT's rezoning request, but the overall decision will be made by the county commission on Monday, Jan. 26. Grandy said that the concerns raised by the community deserve to be answered clearly. Some of the questions he referred to are: What is the maximum storage capacity for hazardous materials on site? What are the annual emission quantities for each uranium compound? How will waste be treated before entering the public sewer system? What is the total annual waste volume and what disposal methods will be employed? How many annual truck trips will involve hazardous materials when the facility operates at full capacity? What is the plan for depleted uranium if the facility closes or changes ownership? How many net new jobs will be created for residents? Why has BWXT not provided a complete list of chemicals and reagents? If contamination occurs, who is responsible for remediation? He said from a company perspective, BWXT have been an outstanding local corporate citizen by providing jobs, supporting our national defense and keeping a good track record of safety and environmental practices. "This expansion creates a lot of new high-quality jobs," Grandy said. "There are a lot of good reasons that this project should move forward but I still think people that are in the community need to get their questions answered."