Delay Project River
Delay Project River
The Issue
Fellow Students of Bradley County and Cleveland City Schools:
You have probably heard about Project River. This would include building a POWER PLANT and most likely a DATA CENTER about 2 miles from Walker Valley High School and the new middle school. We are very worried about many problems this power plant and data center could create for the school and community. This project was just announced (on August 26th) and Cleveland City will be able to approve the project after their City Council meeting on September 15 at 6 PM.
The power plant would be a wood-biomass energy plant. A conservative estimate would be 400-500 logging trucks a day using the roads around WVHS to fuel this plant. That is a logging truck every three minutes–if they come in all 24 hours. But there could be far more trucks and in a much shorter amount of time. We can all remember the accidents caused by logging trucks a few years ago in our community. This is an OBVIOUS danger to student drivers. But it’s not our only concern. Right now, there is not enough clear information about these issues:
Air and Water Pollution:
The plant will create (literally) tons of waste from burning trees, plus steam, heat, and other byproducts. How will this affect the air quality near the school? How will it affect the rivers, wildlife, and the well water/aquifer many of us use every day?
Noise:
Both the plant and data center (or other project) will create constant noise. How much? What will it sound like?
Traffic and Road Conditions: Logging trucks are just one problem. The plant and other projects would bring in a lot of other traffic affecting road quality, safety, and crowding.
Property Rights and Values:
Many of our families live in the area near the project. There is good reason for thinking it would destroy their property value and homes. Why does this construction project count more than the homes and communities of so many people? Why do their rights count more than ours? How can the city of Cleveland reach this far out into the County, when Bradley County laws WOULD NOT allow this project?
And these issues are just the beginning. This is NOT a petition to reject Project River. It is a petition to delay the Cleveland City Council’s decision until these questions become clearer. We are asking Cleveland city to delay the vote for no less than six months. Cleveland city should not annex this property until the community is confident the plant will be safe!!!!
There are good reasons for thinking this plant WON’T be safe near our school. There are good reasons for thinking a DATA CENTER would be bad for our community. Americans all over the country are rejecting them. There are good reasons for thinking this kind of power plant is a bad idea. The project developers admitted at a recent meeting that every plant like this in the country has closed!! Is this kind of plant the only option? Is there no place we can build it other than next to Walker Valley?
We want to acknowledge that the Wright Brothers construction company has done WONDERFUL things for Walker Valley and Bradley County as a whole. They are an important part of our community. We ARE NOT against the Wright Brothers!!! But there are too many unanswered questions and the project is moving too fast. We are begging Cleveland City and the Wright Brothers to SLOW DOWN. That is all we are asking for right now!
An online signature isn’t going to be enough! Here are some other opportunities to make a difference. If we don’t do something now, we won’t have a chance later!
The Cleveland City Council and Planning Commission explicitly stated they are holding off to gauge public sentiment. They need to see our faces, not just our clicks.
Here is our exact Plan to Make a Difference to protect nature and our community and defeat this project:
1. The Legal Roadblock: Pivot to the Bradley County Commission
Because the 850-acre Project River site sits 7 miles out in the county near established neighborhoods, developers are attempting a loophole to pull it into the city limits. This violates standard Non-Contiguous Boundary Laws because it doesn't even touch the current Cleveland city limits. To force this through, they need a special City/County Interlocal Agreement.
We are calling on the Bradley County Commission to immediately initiate a Growth Plan Amendment. If the County steps up and updates the growth plan first, it legally blocks the city from acting as an industrial loophole and protects our community from heavy development.
2. The Public Showdown: Saturday, September 12th
We need to turn our digital signatures into a real-world crowd that the developers cannot ignore. We are planning to pack the upcoming public meetings en masse. We are asking everyone to wear a bright red shirt so the local news cameras and city officials can see a literal sea of neighbors standing up for our community.
What: The Public Developer Meeting on Project River
When: Saturday, September 12th, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Where: The PIE Center, 2337 Parker St NE, Cleveland, TN 37311
Action: Plan to arrive 20–30 minutes early. Bring a neighbor. Let's pack the room to show a unified wall of community resistance.
3. The Official Vote: Tuesday, September 15th at 6:00 PM
The Cleveland Municipal Planning Commission will formally review the rezoning request. This is the first official gatekeeper. If the Planning Commission votes to deny the rezoning, it sends a powerful message to the City Council that our community is not for sale. We need to flood City Hall and make our voices heard for the official record.
We will formally download and deliver our certified signature pages straight to the planning staff so our thousands of voices are sitting physically inside the commissioners' voting packets before they meet.
What you can do right now:
Mark your calendar for the PIE Center meeting (Sept 12), and the Planning Commission vote (Sept 15).
Spread the word: Share this petition link on your Instagram, other social media and with friends to help us hit 3,000 signatures before Wednesday
This petition is not only for high school students. We encourage sharing this petition with the middle schools in Cleveland, TN. My fellow students and I will be the ones growing up in the environment we create. Help us protect our future. Thank you, and we hope to see you on September 12th.
A unified front driven by passion,
The Students of Bradley County and Cleveland City Schools
695
The Issue
Fellow Students of Bradley County and Cleveland City Schools:
You have probably heard about Project River. This would include building a POWER PLANT and most likely a DATA CENTER about 2 miles from Walker Valley High School and the new middle school. We are very worried about many problems this power plant and data center could create for the school and community. This project was just announced (on August 26th) and Cleveland City will be able to approve the project after their City Council meeting on September 15 at 6 PM.
The power plant would be a wood-biomass energy plant. A conservative estimate would be 400-500 logging trucks a day using the roads around WVHS to fuel this plant. That is a logging truck every three minutes–if they come in all 24 hours. But there could be far more trucks and in a much shorter amount of time. We can all remember the accidents caused by logging trucks a few years ago in our community. This is an OBVIOUS danger to student drivers. But it’s not our only concern. Right now, there is not enough clear information about these issues:
Air and Water Pollution:
The plant will create (literally) tons of waste from burning trees, plus steam, heat, and other byproducts. How will this affect the air quality near the school? How will it affect the rivers, wildlife, and the well water/aquifer many of us use every day?
Noise:
Both the plant and data center (or other project) will create constant noise. How much? What will it sound like?
Traffic and Road Conditions: Logging trucks are just one problem. The plant and other projects would bring in a lot of other traffic affecting road quality, safety, and crowding.
Property Rights and Values:
Many of our families live in the area near the project. There is good reason for thinking it would destroy their property value and homes. Why does this construction project count more than the homes and communities of so many people? Why do their rights count more than ours? How can the city of Cleveland reach this far out into the County, when Bradley County laws WOULD NOT allow this project?
And these issues are just the beginning. This is NOT a petition to reject Project River. It is a petition to delay the Cleveland City Council’s decision until these questions become clearer. We are asking Cleveland city to delay the vote for no less than six months. Cleveland city should not annex this property until the community is confident the plant will be safe!!!!
There are good reasons for thinking this plant WON’T be safe near our school. There are good reasons for thinking a DATA CENTER would be bad for our community. Americans all over the country are rejecting them. There are good reasons for thinking this kind of power plant is a bad idea. The project developers admitted at a recent meeting that every plant like this in the country has closed!! Is this kind of plant the only option? Is there no place we can build it other than next to Walker Valley?
We want to acknowledge that the Wright Brothers construction company has done WONDERFUL things for Walker Valley and Bradley County as a whole. They are an important part of our community. We ARE NOT against the Wright Brothers!!! But there are too many unanswered questions and the project is moving too fast. We are begging Cleveland City and the Wright Brothers to SLOW DOWN. That is all we are asking for right now!
An online signature isn’t going to be enough! Here are some other opportunities to make a difference. If we don’t do something now, we won’t have a chance later!
The Cleveland City Council and Planning Commission explicitly stated they are holding off to gauge public sentiment. They need to see our faces, not just our clicks.
Here is our exact Plan to Make a Difference to protect nature and our community and defeat this project:
1. The Legal Roadblock: Pivot to the Bradley County Commission
Because the 850-acre Project River site sits 7 miles out in the county near established neighborhoods, developers are attempting a loophole to pull it into the city limits. This violates standard Non-Contiguous Boundary Laws because it doesn't even touch the current Cleveland city limits. To force this through, they need a special City/County Interlocal Agreement.
We are calling on the Bradley County Commission to immediately initiate a Growth Plan Amendment. If the County steps up and updates the growth plan first, it legally blocks the city from acting as an industrial loophole and protects our community from heavy development.
2. The Public Showdown: Saturday, September 12th
We need to turn our digital signatures into a real-world crowd that the developers cannot ignore. We are planning to pack the upcoming public meetings en masse. We are asking everyone to wear a bright red shirt so the local news cameras and city officials can see a literal sea of neighbors standing up for our community.
What: The Public Developer Meeting on Project River
When: Saturday, September 12th, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Where: The PIE Center, 2337 Parker St NE, Cleveland, TN 37311
Action: Plan to arrive 20–30 minutes early. Bring a neighbor. Let's pack the room to show a unified wall of community resistance.
3. The Official Vote: Tuesday, September 15th at 6:00 PM
The Cleveland Municipal Planning Commission will formally review the rezoning request. This is the first official gatekeeper. If the Planning Commission votes to deny the rezoning, it sends a powerful message to the City Council that our community is not for sale. We need to flood City Hall and make our voices heard for the official record.
We will formally download and deliver our certified signature pages straight to the planning staff so our thousands of voices are sitting physically inside the commissioners' voting packets before they meet.
What you can do right now:
Mark your calendar for the PIE Center meeting (Sept 12), and the Planning Commission vote (Sept 15).
Spread the word: Share this petition link on your Instagram, other social media and with friends to help us hit 3,000 signatures before Wednesday
This petition is not only for high school students. We encourage sharing this petition with the middle schools in Cleveland, TN. My fellow students and I will be the ones growing up in the environment we create. Help us protect our future. Thank you, and we hope to see you on September 12th.
A unified front driven by passion,
The Students of Bradley County and Cleveland City Schools
The Decision Makers
Supporter Voices
Petition Updates
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Petition created on September 8, 2026