MOUNTAIN CITY, Tn. — MOUNTAIN CITY, Tenn. — Tensions are continuing to rise in Mountain City over a proposed CleanSpark bitcoin mine.

Allan Fetherston, a Mountain City resident, said, “It’s not to the benefit of the community.”

Fetherston says he’s been reading articles about adverse health and environmental caused by Bitcoin mines. He urged town leaders to thoroughly investigate the research.

“Please just consider it. Don’t just jump into something because someone says it’s going to be okay,” he said.

CleanSpark, the company behind the proposed mine, addressed the community’s concerns, stating they were unaware of any adverse health effects caused by their technology. They acknowledged noise pollution as a primary concern and said they work hard to mitigate it.

Mountain City Mayor Jerry Jordan said he has heard the community’s concerns and emphasized that no decision has been made regarding the potential facility.

“I don’t want this to come in here and be a nuisance. That’s the last thing I want,” he said. “I’m not saying this is a done deal. I do not want to bring something in here that’s going to destroy this town.”

Mayor Jordan noted that the planning commission has not yet received any site plans from CleanSpark. The next planning commission meeting is scheduled for June 26.

The town is also scheduled to provide transportation to a CleanSpark facility in Georgia on June 16. You can find more information about that trip here.

News 5 asked CleanSpark a series of questions. Their answers are below:

Why was the town of Mountain City and the specific property chosen for this project?

As America’s Bitcoin Miner, CleanSpark is always evaluating opportunities on a national scale, seeking true partners in cities across the U.S. We currently operate sites throughout the country and are actively pursuing a broad range of growth initiatives, both within the Tennessee Valley Authority’s service territory and beyond. While we’ve had extremely positive experiences operating in the Valley, our expansion strategy is not limited to East Tennessee. Our nationwide approach reflects our commitment to responsible growth, community engagement, and long-term partnerships that drive innovation in the energy and technology sectors.

In what ways is CleanSpark expected to be a ‘good neighbor’ to Mountain City residents?

CleanSpark is committed to being a responsible partner in every community where we operate, and that starts with listening to concerns and investing in real solutions.

We take noise management seriously and are actively investing in advanced noise mitigation technologies, including immersion cooling, site design enhancements, and emerging acoustic cancellation tools. This is a core part of our engineering process, not an afterthought. We want our facilities to blend into the community, and we’re constantly evaluating new innovations to make that possible.

Regarding grid stress, our operations are designed to be flexible. We can ramp down during peak demand to support the broader system, and we’ve done so proactively, most recently during hurricanes in Georgia and other regions. We’re also one of the largest participants in TVA’s PowerFlex program, which directly benefits all Tennessee Valley ratepayers.

In addition, we contribute meaningfully to local tax bases, provide steady revenue to local utilities which helps stabilize household energy costs, and we are proud to support community programs through meaningful monetary donations and sponsorships.

We pride ourselves on having a close-knit company culture that also creates job opportunities with higher-than-average wages in rural areas. CleanSpark offers on-the-job training and a clear path for career advancement, along with paid development opportunities to help our employees grow personally and professionally.

Overall, we measure our success not just by what we build—but by how we show up as neighbors.

How many jobs will be created at this facility? Will these go to local residents?

The site is anticipated to create local jobs with compelling pay and benefits. Residents are encouraged to apply. While technical experience is helpful for entry-level positions, no prior experience is required. We take pride in our close-knit company culture and our role in creating quality job opportunities near home with above-average wages. CleanSpark provides on-the-job training, a clear path for career advancement, and paid professional development to support the personal and professional growth of our employees.

What will this facility look like – any other facilities that are built that could resemble what could come to Mountain City? Do you have pictures you can send me?

We don’t have any photos as each facility is built specific to the site and based on climate and local requirements.

There is a fear of noise pollution caused by this facility – how many decibels will be produced by this facility?

Please see the neighbor question and answer.

Is there a timeline for this facility coming to Mountain City?

It is premature to comment on a specific timeline for this potential project, but CleanSpark has a track record of rapidly mobilizing development efforts and energizing projects depending on form factor and technology design decisions.

Residents have contacted me over concerns about lawsuits that CleanSpark is facing over alleged false/misleading statements – are you still fighting this litigation and how do you ensure Mountain City residents these alleged falsehoods will not impact this project?

As a public company, we disclose material legal matters in our annual report. We stand by our statements made there, which includes our belief that the claims are without merit.

Are you being offered tax incentives for this project? If yes, please specify how.

We have not been approached with any project specific tax incentives. We are evaluating and hope to qualify for any and all incentive programs available to businesses like ours who invest at-scale in hard assets, real estate, energy infrastructure, and employ both directly and indirectly all generating in-state benefits.