Bitcoin Mining is Making People Sick

c0lo writes:

The noise of Bitcoin mining is driving Americans crazy

"It echoes across agricultural land and forests, chasing away deer. It seeps into walls, vibrating bedrooms and dinner tables." One resident said it was as though a "jet engine is forever stationed nearby".

Bitcoin mining has exploded in the US over the past decade, particularly in the wake of Donald Trump's re-election to the White House and his embrace of cryptocurrency. But it's an energy-intensive process: the powerful computers that create and protect the cryptocurrency need fans on the go constantly to cool them down. And across rural, mostly Republican towns, residents are getting sick of the noise - and getting sick, full stop.

Much of America's Bitcoin mining industry is in Texas, said Time, "home to giant power plants, lax regulation, and crypto-friendly politicians". In Granbury, where Marathon - one of the world's largest Bitcoin holders - has a mine, a group of people are being "worn thin from strange, debilitating illnesses". Some were experiencing fainting spells, chest pains, migraines and panic attacks; others were "wracked by debilitating vertigo and nausea. The mine is causing "mental and physical" health issues, said one ears, nose, and throat specialist based in Granbury. "Imagine if I had vuvuzela in your ear all the time."

Granbury Residents Demand Answers from MARA's Bitcoin Mine As Lawsuit Over Noise Nuisance Continues

Texas state court rejected MARA's dismissal bid, now residents are demanding that the cryptomine turn over documents

Granbury, TX -

Today, Citizens Concerned About Wolf Hollow, a community group composed of Granbury residents and represented by Earthjustice, filed a motion to compel in its lawsuit against MARA Holdings, Inc, asking the Texas State Court to require the cryptomining plant to turn over key information pertaining to the excessive noise the facility creates and the resulting nuisance level conditions. This comes on the heels of the Court denying MARA's motion to dismiss earlier this summer, a decision which allows the community group to move forward in the lawsuit. The cryptomining company has withheld basic information and documentation related to the excessive noise generated by its 24/7 cryptocurrency mining operations - noise that has caused ongoing harm to the surrounding community. Now, the community group is demanding answers, seeking much needed information including the equipment used at the plant, any mitigation measures the company has taken, and detailed noise pollution data.

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