The Rezoning of Risk: BWXT, Depleted Uranium, and Public Trust in Jonesborough, Tennessee

The Rezoning of Risk is a clear, carefully written citizen record of a local controversy in Jonesborough, Tennessee, where questions of land use, depleted uranium, public safety, and public trust collided.

When BWXT’s proposed expansion and rezoning efforts raised alarm among residents, the issue quickly became more than a routine planning dispute. It became a test of how a community responds when technical assurances, economic promises, and official process move faster than public confidence.

Written in a disciplined, readable style, this booklet examines the central issues behind the controversy, including BWXT’s proposed expansion, high purity depleted uranium, local environmental and safety concerns, rezoning questions, and the growing gap between official reassurance and public doubt.

This is not a technical manual or a legal brief. It is a civic document, a record for readers who want to understand what happened, why so many residents objected, and why the concerns raised deserve to be remembered.

For anyone interested in public trust, local government, environmental risk, and the long shadow of decisions made in the name of progress, The Rezoning of Risk offers a serious and timely account.