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BrightRidge, Red Dog make first payments in Bitcoin mine settlement

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WASHINGTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — BrightRidge and Red Dog Technologies, the operator of a Bitcoin mine in the Limestone community, have made their first payments to Washington County as part of a settlement to shut down the mine.

BrightRidge began leasing the Bailey Bridge Road property that now houses the facility — right next to a BrightRidge substation — to Red Dog in 2020. By mid-2021, neighbors in the area had begun taking noise complaints to the county due to the fans used to cool the technology in the Bitcoin mine.

The Washington County Commission ultimately sued both companies after learning that the mine’s use did not meet zoning guidelines, claiming BrightRidge had not been transparent in the intent for the property.

In October 2023, the county commission approved a proposed lawsuit settlement, requiring the Bitcoin mine to shut down no later than March 28, 2026. The settlement also required BrightRidge and Red Dog to each pay half of a $25,000 lump payment to the county, as well as $200 (also split between the companies) for each day the mine remains open.

The lawsuit was officially dismissed in Washington County Chancery Court on Nov. 8 after the settlement was approved by Chancellor John Rambo.

On Monday, the Washington County Commission confirmed the dismissal and received the first of those payments. BrightRidge and Red Dog each paid $14,700 to the county in that first installment, totaling $29,400.

Another stipulation of the settlement requires BrightRidge to continue providing free high-speed internet to 51 homes and one church in the vicinity of the Bitcoin mine until it shuts down. The cost of providing that internet service must be covered by BrightRidge and Red Dog, which the settlement notes is roughly $150,000.

Red Dog is also required to remove all of its equipment at the mine site within 120 days of its closing.

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