Our Letter to Senator Joe Manchin Urging Action on Rockwool

August 29, 2018

Senator Joe Manchin
Eastern Panhandle Office
261 Aikens Center, Ste. 305
Martinsburg, WV 25404

Dear Senator Manchin:

On behalf 6,300 West Virginians formally opposed to the Rockwool industrial facility, we urge you to reconsider your support for a massive industrial facility near schools in Jefferson County.

The Rockwool project is completely wrong for Jefferson County.  The fast-track process that brought Rockwool here was designed to limit public information and block community input.  Locating this facility near our schools violates all zoning, safety, and planning principles. Furthermore, this project will harm key parts of our economy, such as the agriculture, equine, real estate, and tourism industries.

Our community is rapidly organizing to stop Rockwool. In the last month, thousands of local citizens have assembled Facebook and at our website, ToxicRockwool.com.  From this grassroots effort we have formed a new non-partisan, non-profit organization, Jefferson County Vision, to work to protect the economy and quality of life in our community.  We’ve held multiple events and are attending every local government meeting and hundreds of people are regularly showing up to oppose Rockwool.

With our support, the Harpers Ferry Town Council formally and unanimously announced opposition to the project last week.  The Jefferson County Board of Education is demanding that Rockwool pause site development to allow a proper environmental and safety assessment.  The Mayor of Charles Town, Scott Rogers, is urging the public: “Say no to the Rockwool plant in Jefferson County...Let’s keep our air and water clean.”   

The high-traffic, high pollution Rockwool industrial facility should never be located near schools.  Please stand with the people of West Virginia and reconsider your position on Rockwool Ranson.

Sincerely,

Leigh Smith
Jefferson County Vision