For the past several months, an interesting battle has played out in the city of Jonesborough. In September 2025, Virginia-based nuclear company BWX Technologies (BWXT) was awarded a 10-year contract valued at $1.6 billion by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration to construct a nuclear manufacturing plant in Jonesborough. This facility would be the second facility owned by BWXT in Northeast Tennessee, as the company’s nuclear fuel services facility in Erwin has made them the largest employer in Unicoi County.
The Jonesborough facility, located at 1367 Old State Road, was acquired by BWXT from L3Harris, another nuclear company, in January 2025. The facility’s main function would be the production of High-Purity Depleted Uranium.
“Depleted Uranium is a by-product of the uranium enrichment processing process. It will have a higher concentration of U-238, a radioisotope, than natural uranium. High purity depleted uranium (HPDU) has had most of the U-235 (another radioisotope – both U-235 and U-238 are different isotopes of the element Uranium) removed,” Health Physicist Mary Handy said. “Therefore, it is primarily made of U-238. HPDU is created on strict processing standards and to the level of purity in which it meets the standard to use in defense applications.”
According to BWXT, their Jonesborough facility is the only one established to supply the U.S. government with HPDU, and it is set to produce 300 metric tons of HPDU annually, bringing 175 permanent jobs to the surrounding area. Despite this, BWXT has faced controversy from Jonesborough and Washington County residents with concerns about the facility’s location, as well as BWXT’s desire to have the 55-acre property rezoned from agricultural to industrial. In January of this year, the Washington County Commission voted to deny the rezoning request. Yet, at their March 23rd meeting, the Washington County Commission voted 10-5 to approve the rezoning request.
On their webpage about the Jonesborough facility, BWXT describes the rezoning as an opportunity to establish the new infrastructure needed, while also maximizing the buffer between their facility and surrounding property lines. However, local community members have raised their concerns about the environmental impacts this facility may have.
The largest concern community activists had was the site’s proximity to Little Limestone Creek and the surrounding floodplain. Because this facility is being funded by the Department of Energy, a study of the area’s environment is required under the National Environmental Policy Act. BWXT has publicly stated that there will be no impact on Little Limestone Creek or the local waterways, while residents of the area have expressed concerns about the impact that a flood event could have in the future.
“Some unique environmental concerns for this site would include the management of radioactive dust releases and handling of Low-Level Radioactive Waste (LLRW),” said Mary Handy.
At the March 23 Washington County Commission meeting, Patrick Flood, a senior advisor with TDEC, stated that BWXT “has a good record of environmental compliance” with their Jonesborough facility. However, BWXT has a history of non-compliance at other facilities. In August of 2023, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission proposed an $87,500 fine on BWXT for violations of requirements concerning safety controls at their facility in Lynchburg, Virginia.
For many residents of Jonesborough, their feelings concerning the BWXT facility and rezoning are complicated. Taylor Christian, an ETSU freshman and native to Jonesborough, shared her feelings on the issue: “As someone who wants to raise a family in the area in the future, it worries me for the next generation and what they could be exposed to. I completely understand the potential benefits like job opportunities, but I also think the community’s concerns– especially about health and environment– deserve more acknowledgement. Decisions like these need to be made when people feel informed and confident in what is happening, not when emotions are high, and people are confused and divided.”
Construction on BWXT’s existing facility has begun, but the major expansion work is set for the next 2-4 years, pending various environmental assessments and permits.
