Pollution wears many hats, and a sneaky one is excessive noise.
Residents in Granbury, Texas, are well aware of this, due to a nearby cryptocurrency facility that makes a ton of disruptive noise. They made progress in a lawsuit, but now the company is refusing to cooperate, according to Earthjustice.
What’s happening?
Creating cryptocurrency requires huge computers to “mine” the digital asset by solving complex math problems. But it also requires huge fans to cool down those computers, which means pretty much nonstop noise.
For Granbury residents, the sounds coming from MARA Holdings, Inc., a local cryptomine, became a constant nuisance. They complained of poor sleep and having trouble enjoying their homes, both inside and outside, Earthjustice explained.
“For some time now, Granbury residents have endured the constant, harmful noise from MARA’s cryptomining plant,” said Rodrigo Cantú, senior attorney with Earthjustice’s Gulf Regional Office. “Now, those same long-term residents are being ignored as MARA refuses to hand over documents in the discovery process, even after the Court ruled that Citizens Concerned About Wolf Hollow can bring this lawsuit. MARA must be compelled to release critical information about its operations, which have already caused serious harm to its neighbors.”
With representation from Earthjustice, the concerned citizens filed a lawsuit in October 2024, which MARA tried to get dismissed. The court denied that request and greenlit the lawsuit, but the company is still withholding information and documents about the noise pollution, the firm reported.
In response, the community filed an additional motion to try to get MARA to disclose details about its equipment, noise data, and any efforts to quiet things down.
Why is this legal battle important?
Cryptocurrency can be applied toward important planet-friendly initiatives. But when it comes to its mining operations and their impacts on surrounding areas, it is nowhere near perfect.
Supplying energy for all the necessary computing power takes a ton of electricity — often made with polluting sources — as well as water to manage temperatures. Those are two resources that are not a great idea to use in excess.
Plus, in the case of this lawsuit over noise, some residents even reported health issues, including migraines, ringing in the ears, and dizziness, Earthjustice reported.
What’s being done about the noise pollution?
The goal of the lawsuit is to win a permanent injunction. This would force MARA to measurably reduce the harm its 24/7 noise and vibrations are causing local residents, according to Earthjustice.
Standing up to polluting companies as a town is not easy. Yet organizing as a community can make this kind of fight possible, which the folks in Granbury did by forming the Citizens Concerned About Wolf Hollow group to file the lawsuit.
Want to make your own local change? Start by learning about the critical issues in your neighborhood.
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