A group of more than a dozen residents of Granbury, Texas, filed a lawsuit against Marathon Digital Holdings, a major crypto mining company, citing loud noise and vibrations from their local Bitcoin mining area.
According to residents, the crypto mining area, which is close to their homes, has caused a lot of disruption in their daily lives, causing trouble that has caused negative health effects, including fatigue, hearing loss, and headaches.
Details of the lawsuit
The lawsuit, filed in Hood County Court, claims that persistent noise from the mining site has interfered with residents’ ability to enjoy their homes, with constant vibrations and roaring from the cooling fans of the crypto mining machines running 24/7.
The main lawyer of Earthjustice, Rodrigo Cantú, emphasized that the noise pollution from the crypto-mining system harms the physical and mental health of the residents and harms the environment.
Notably, cryptocurrency mining, especially Bitcoin, involves a process that requires a lot of energy known as proof of work, where tens of thousands of computers work continuously to solve complex algorithms.
In the case of Marathon Digital, the noise from the cooling fans that maintain the proper temperatures of the mining equipment has become a major problem for the local community.
Marathon’s crypto mining operations are based at the Wolf Hollow gas plant, a 1,115 megawatt facility near Granbury. Responding to the lawsuit, Granbury resident Cheryl Shadden shared her experience, explaining that 24/7 mining operations have also boosted local electricity. Shadden commented:
In such a short period of time, Bitcoin mining has completely changed our society, for the worse. Round-the-clock mining isn’t just driving up our electricity bills – it’s costing us our lives.
It calls for immediate action and long-term solutions
The case highlights the urgent need for solutions, where residents are looking for ways to close the mining area or significantly reduce noise pollution. Shadden, for example, said:
We feel trapped. Day and night, we suffer from incessant noise that harms us physically. We’re not asking for much — only for Marathon to commit and restore our peace and well-being.
The lawsuit, led by Earthjustice on behalf of Citizens Concerned About Wolf Hollow, demands that Marathon Digital reduce noise pollution or shut down its operations entirely.
Rodrigo Cantú, who is also a member of Earthjustice’s legal team, commented:
Exposure to this continuous noise is dangerous to human health, animals, and the environment. Citizens’ homes are no longer the refuge they should be. Marathon must take immediate action to effectively reduce noise pollution or shut down operations altogether.
Additionally, the plaintiffs are seeking a permanent injunction against the mining facility to prevent further noise disturbance and compensation for damages, including higher electricity bills and decreased property values.
The featured image was created with DALL-E, a Chart from TradingView
Source link