Update from the Civic Engagement Team

Hello Petition Supporters,

My name is Alexandra, and I'm on the Civic Engagement team at Change.org. Our team works to connect petition starters and supporters with the public officials who have the power to act on the issues you care about. 

I spoke with Rhea County Commissioner Stacy Harris (District 2) regarding this petition asking Rhea County’s leaders to reject the NLIC proposal.

Upcoming meeting: The County Commission will hold a Special Called Meeting on Monday, October 26, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the Conference Room of the Phil Swafford Building. The agenda includes a resolution to terminate Rhea County’s participation in the NLIC preliminary discussions, followed by a public comment period. Commissioner Harris encouraged residents to attend, saying “the more the merrier.”
🔗 View the meeting agenda (PDF). The agenda has also been posted on the county’s website and Facebook page.

Commissioner Harris’s perspective: He shared that the county’s involvement so far has been exploratory only, with the goal of learning whether the project would offer any benefit to the community. He emphasized that if there were no benefit, the county would not pursue it, and noted that many key details, such as where any drilling might take place, are still unknown, even at the federal level. He also said the project may never happen, and that if it ever did move forward, it would likely be years down the road.

Commissioner Harris also wanted to clarify how decisions like this are made: any action would require an open public meeting and a vote by the county’s nine district commissioners.

Potential benefits, as he described them: Commissioner Harris said the main benefit being explored is revenue for the county, which he said could support infrastructure improvements and schools.  He was clear that he was sharing this context to explain the proposal, not to argue that it is what the county should do. He also noted that the community already lives near nuclear facilities, with plants located roughly 20 miles north and south of Spring City.

On community concerns: He acknowledged that residents have strong feelings on this issue and said he has heard from people both interested in learning more and opposed to the proposal. Concerns about potential impacts on the local water supply are among the questions he said he wants answered. As a grandfather of 14, he said he would never support anything he believed could harm his family or the county’s future.

Commissioner Harris shared he wants residents to have a say in shaping the terms from day one and will continue to advocate in the best interests of his constituents.

— The Change.org Civic Engagement Team