A group of more than two dozen residents from Granbury, Texas, has filed a lawsuit against Marathon Digital Holdings, a major crypto miner firm, citing the excessive noise and vibrations from its local Bitcoin mining facility.
According to the residents, the crypto mining site, located near their homes, has caused significant disruptions to their daily lives, creating a nuisance that has resulted in severe health impacts, including fatigue, hearing loss, and headaches.
Details About The Lawsuit
The lawsuit, filed in Hood County Court, claims that the persistent noise from the mining facility has interfered with the resident’s ability to enjoy their homes, with vibrations and constant roaring from the cooling fans of the crypto mining machines running 24/7.
Earthjustice’s senior attorney, Rodrigo Cantú, emphasized that the noise pollution from the proof-of-work cryptocurrency mining process harms residents’ physical and mental health and is also detrimental to the surrounding environment.
Notably, cryptocurrency mining, particularly Bitcoin, involves an energy-intensive process known as proof-of-work, where tens of thousands of computers operate continuously to solve complex algorithms.
In Marathon Digital’s case, the noise from cooling fans that maintain optimal temperatures for the mining equipment has become a major issue for the local community.
Marathon’s crypto mining operations are based at the Wolf Hollow gas plant, a 1,115-megawatt facility near Granbury. In response to the lawsuit, Granbury resident Cheryl Shadden shared her experience, explaining that the 24/7 mining activities have also driven up local electricity. Shadden noted:
In such a short time, Bitcoin mining has completely altered our community, for the worse. The around-the-clock mining isn’t just driving up our electricity bills — it’s costing us our health.
Calls for Immediate Action And Long-Term Solutions
The lawsuit highlights the urgent need for solutions, with residents seeking measures to shut down the mining facility or drastically reduce the noise pollution. Shadden, for instance stated:
We feel trapped. Day and night, we are subjected to relentless noise that is physically harming us. We aren’t asking for much — just for Marathon to take responsibility and restore our peace and well-being.
The lawsuit, led by Earthjustice on behalf of the Citizens Concerned About Wolf Hollow, demands that Marathon Digital either mitigate the noise pollution or shut down its operations altogether.
Rodrigo Cantú, who is also one of Earthjustice’s legal team, noted:
Persistent exposure to this noise is detrimental for human health, animals, and the environment. Residents’ homes are no longer the refuge that they should be. Marathon must take immediate action to effectively mitigate their noise pollution or shut down operations altogether.
Additionally, the plaintiffs are seeking a permanent injunction against the mining facility to prevent further noise disturbances and compensation for damages, including higher electricity bills and decreased property values.
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