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- 1 Complaints regarding noise from crypto mining operations have been rising in Arkansas.
- 2 The state passed Act 851, a bill regulating digital asset mining, was passed this year.
People in DeWitt County have come together to bulwark against a crypto mining facility that was about to enter the location. Arkansas NBC affiliate, KARK, reported the community members acted attributing to the humming noise and its environmental impact on the region. The community meeting held in the area discussed the aspects of stopping the crypto miners from entering.
Crypto Mining Triggers The Masses
The community members are seeking a call from the governor to put a halt to the activity. Belvia Rodgers, a community member said, “We are concerned about environmental issues, the water issue, the conservation with our wildlife, toxic, and the noise pollution.”
Moreover, the community has prepared a petition and is now looking for signatures to conduct a special session to amend the law. The group will continue to conduct meetings in the region according to KARK. A similar case surfaced in Vilonia, a city in Arkansas.
In July 2023, the city council decided to stop crypto mining activities in the area. The constant drone was leading to health issues among denizens. A citizen reported her son suffering from autism having a meltdown. An influx of crypto miners in the State can be attributed to the Arkansas Act 851 which lays emphasis on needed ‘guidance for future industry growth’ in the state.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the state’s newspaper of record, reported in July that several Arkansas counties are acting quickly to limit “the kinds of regulation local governments can implement on cryptocurrency mining facilities.” A justice of the peace from Faulkner County’s Quorum Court explained crypto mining is not the issue, but the ‘issues’ rising from it.
According to the text in Arkansas Act 851, it was brought into the law to “recognize that data centers create jobs, pay taxes, and provide general economic value.” However, there appears to be no sections discussing the noise pollution arising from crypto mining. State Rep. Rick McClure acknowledges that “Large digital asset mining operations can be a problem. They can be loud and annoying.”
Natural State Turning Into Bitcoin State
Issues from crypto mining are not new to the Arkansas state. The community members recently told Little Rock television station, KATV, that “This affects every single Arkansan in the state of Arkansas. We will no longer be the Natural State; we will be the Bitcoin State.”
According to the data from Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index, a real-time data aggregator, Bitcoin’s (BTC) energy consumption has gone up since its inception. Currently, the United States is by far the biggest hashrate producer globally.
Mining BTC consumes energy required to power a nation including Norway according to a sustainability-dedicated organization Rocky Mountain Institute. Furthermore, it is estimated to emit about 25 to 50 Million tons of carbon dioxide annually.
Anurag is working as a fundamental writer for The Coin Republic since 2021. He likes to exercise his curious muscles and research deep into a topic. Though he covers various aspects of the crypto industry, he is quite passionate about the Web3, NFTs, Gaming, and Metaverse, and envisions them as the future of the (digital) economy. A reader & writer at heart, he calls himself an “average guitar player” and a fun footballer.
