At least three Upper Cumberland counties being considered for the storage of nuclear waste including Clay, Fentress, and Pickett.
State Representative Kelly Keisling said he drafted a letter to Governor Bill Lee and other state officials after learning Clay County was included on a list of potential sites for a nuclear waste repository. Clay County Commissioners passed a resolution against the idea.
“I can get worked up thinking about this,” Keisling said. “I’ve been worked up and I’ve lost a lot of sleep over this for the past few weeks. and it’s really taken a lot of my attention because I’m so far behind now already, but I mean that’s not an excuse. This is the most important thing right now that I’m focusing on.”
Keisling said the proposal submitted by the Governor’s office to the Department of Energy in July is 207 pages long. Keisling said 17 pages of that document have been redacted, which prevents local officials from knowing the full details of the plan.
Keisling said the current proposal appears to remove the Tennessee General Assembly from the decision-making process. Keisling said the language gives the Governor the sole authority to move forward if Tennessee is chosen as the host state.
“I’m not interested in it,” Keisling said. “We must consider the health and the economic welfare of our counties. I’ve got the gloves on and I’ve got a target on my back.”
Keisling said while some proponents point to the potential for manufacturing jobs and investment, he believes the county hosting the waste repository would not see those benefits.
“I can promise you one thing: the citizens of this county will fight,” one commissioner said.
Keisling said the Department of Energy narrowed a list of 26 states down to five finalists, including Tennessee, for a project that could involve $50 billion in private investment.
