Rockwool is planning the construction of a heavily emitting factory directly across Route 9 from North Jefferson Elementary School. The factory site is within 2 miles of the public schools attended by 30% of our county's children. We are fighting to protect the health and wellbeing of our children from toxic and hazardous pollution.

Rockwool has received a permit from the WV Department of Environmental Protection to spew thousands of tons of toxic and hazardous pollutants into the air we breath. These pollutants include phenol, formaldehyde, methane and PM 2.5. They affect the kidney, liver, brain, heart and lungs.

The Charles Town Utility Board (CTUB) has applied for a permit to accept 46,800 Gallons Per Day (GPD) of domestic and industrial sewage. This wastewater will be treated and dumped in Ebbets Run, a favorite fishing spot. Pollutants will travel to the Shenandoah, Potomac and the Chesapeake Bay, degrading our entire watershed.

Our economy is based on agriculture, tourism, education, government, the arts and light manufacturing. We have adopted a Comprehensive Plan for the sustainable development of our county into the future. We want an inclusive economy that supports and encourages a variety of small businesses and local employment opportunities.

We expect our civic leaders to protect the interests of our community and accept the will of the majority of the people. We were shocked and disheartened to learn that our public officials had secretly committed over $37 million of our tax money for incentives to a foreign corporation that would impose a polluting factory and significantly deteriorate our land, air and water.

We were disheartened to discover that the Rockwool plant was just the beginning. Rockwool was planned as the first user for a 1,400-acre industrial zone that would consume massive amounts of water, coal and fracked gas. We are aware that our global ecosystem is stressed and we need to create a resilient and clean economy to protect the interests of future generations.