El Reno Seeks Costs After Bitcoin Mining Site Leak Disrupts Community
The city of El Reno in Oklahoma is seeking to recover costs associated with a massive water leak at a bitcoin mining operation owned by Athlon BT. The leak, which occurred on a property south of Interstate 40, disrupted the county-seat community of about 20,000 people and caused low water pressure, forcing the closure of the Canadian County Courthouse and El Reno Public Schools for several days.
According to officials, the city had issued a stop-work order in 2023 due to electrical, construction, and fire safety violations at the mining site. However, no one from the city followed up to confirm that Athlon BT had brought its site up to code, allowing the company to operate without further inspection for about three years.
Interim City Manager Ken Brown admitted that the city 'failed' in enforcing the stop-work order and acknowledged that there were some barriers to inspecting the site. The city will seek to recover costs related to the water lost and overtime for municipal and school district employees who assisted in the search for the source of the leak.
The bitcoin mining operation at 801 Jensen Road West has been shut down pending a September 14 hearing, and the city plans to bill the property owner for any costs associated with the incident.