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Public commenters urge caution on SMRs and call for action over alleged commissioner misconduct
Summary
During public comment, a resident warned the commission about the risks of small modular reactors; another resident publicly alleged repeated misconduct by a county commissioner and urged removal or referral to the attorney general.
BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. — Two public commenters used the commission’s public-comment period to raise concerns about energy policy and a local elected official.
Denise Skeen (270 Wyatt Hollow Road) addressed the commission about small modular reactors (SMRs). She told commissioners she believes there are "no operational SMRs anywhere in the world except for China and Russia" and said the Oak Ridge demonstration unit is not licensed. Skeen raised safety, waste-disposal and regulatory concerns and argued that smaller reactors do not eliminate those issues. "Smaller reactors do not reduce the problem of how to store and dispose of radioactive waste," she said, urging the commission to consider environmental and public‑health consequences as zoning or permitting requests arise.
A second commenter, Kenina Ures of Kingsport (835 Lebanon Road), urged the commission to act on what she described as a "pattern of behavior" by District commissioner Joe Carr. Ures said the commissioner had harassed her adult daughter in a public setting and urged officials to consider removal or referral to the state attorney general if appropriate. She asked the commission to take action and said she was not asking a question but demanding accountability.
The chair thanked both speakers and closed the public-comment period; no formal response or staff action was recorded on the floor at that time.
