Community members raise concerns over proposed nuclear graphite facility in Claiborne County

SPEEDWELL, Tenn. — Community members in Claiborne County are voicing concerns after learning a company is considering building a nuclear graphite production facility.

The project is still only a proposal, and no land has been purchased or permits filed, according to state Sen. Jessie Seal (R-New Tazewell). Hundreds of residents gathered Sunday afternoon at a town hall meeting hosted by Seal at Powell Valley School’s kitchen cafeteria. 

If plans move forward, the facility would be operated by Carbonium Core Inc. and Smartkem.

“If completed, the proposed transaction would combine Smartkem’s advanced materials and process expertise with Carbonium Core’s vertically integrated platform for producing nuclear graphite, a critical material used in next-generation nuclear reactor technologies, including small modular reactors (SMRs) and Generation IV designs,” Smartkem said on its website.

For more than an hour, community members asked Seal questions and shared concerns about the potential project.

Seal said that he is seeking more information, particularly about environmental and public safety issues.

“If it harms people, if it causes environmental damage, if it pollutes the air or hurts our water source — if it hurts the people — I’ll be the first person on the front lines fighting this thing,” Seal told 10News. “If this is safe and beneficial to the county, then I think we need to hear them out. I think we need to see what they have to offer.”

Other residents said they oppose the idea entirely.

“We don’t want transparency. We want it stopped,” a community member said. “The people of this community do not want this. We will never want this. If we had known about this, we would have protested it.”

The resident also expressed concern about potential impacts on farmers and families in the rural community.

For now, the project remains in its early stages. 

We will update you as we learn more about this development.