Mining Faces New Challenges: Angry Texans Are Battling the Noise from 80,000 Mining Machines

Original Title: Angry Texans fight Bitcoin mine’s 80,000 noisy machines in test for industry

Authors: L.Kelly, T.Carreras, DL News (Published in February, some information may be outdated)

Compiled by: Wu Says Blockchain

● Residents of Granbury have had enough of living next to the Marathon Bitcoin mining facility, where the noise is like a busy highway.

● Locals say the soaring decibels from the mine are causing health issues.

● As Wall Street ETFs drive demand for Bitcoin, the noise pollution from miners could become a major challenge for the industry.

When Cheryl Shadden invited her family from Washington state to visit her home in Texas, she knew there would be problems.

The Bitcoin mining operation a quarter-mile from her property produces noise like that inside a wind tunnel.

And it never stops.

“They said, ‘Oh my God, what is that? It’s awful,’” Shadden told DLNews. “I knew what they would say.”

For over a year, the Bitcoin mining facility owned by Marathon Digital Holdings has been running day and night with about 80,000 fans cooling computers that mine cryptocurrency.

The noise has been infuriating the people of Granbury.

Now, Shadden and her neighbors are increasingly worried that the racket is causing a range of health problems.

Neighbor Geraldine Lathers told DLNews, “I have headaches now, and the dizziness is worse,” adding, “You can’t get relief. If I move wrong, I get dizzy.”

Residents are shocked to see rabbits, birds, and other wildlife fleeing the area to escape the noise.

But she added after a pause, “There are a lot of vultures here, though.”

Marathon's Emergency Response

As a publicly traded Bitcoin mining company valued at $6 billion, Marathon took over the facility in January. The company is now urgently seeking solutions to the problem.

“Some people are disturbed by this, and we need to address it,” Marathon spokesperson Charlie Schumacher told DLNews.

He also expressed his concerns.

“To my knowledge, no one has had medical issues due to the Bitcoin mining site,” he said. “If that’s the case, I’d love to see the information. It’s very important for us to understand this.”

Cheryl Shadden stands in front of the Bitcoin mine in Granbury, Texas—Photo provided by Cheryl Shadden

Bitcoin mining has long been criticized by environmentalists for its massive use of electricity generated from fossil fuels. The New York Times reported in April that the carbon pollution from U.S. Bitcoin miners is equivalent to the emissions from 3.5 million gasoline-powered cars.

Now, the industry is facing the pressure of addressing another increasingly serious issue—noise pollution. Residents in North Carolina, Colorado, Ohio, Tennessee, as well as Canada and Norway, have complained about the noise from Bitcoin mines. In Texas, this issue is escalating into a major headache for the industry.

Notably, residents in Texas typically have no issues with various industrial activities, from oil drilling to wind power to hydraulic fracturing of shale.

With Bitcoin’s value more than doubling in the past 12 months, the surge in demand could drive the expansion of mining operations.

Legislators in Georgia and Kentucky have offered financial incentives to mining companies to encourage them to set up facilities in their states. Texas grid operator Ercot has provided energy credits to mining companies.

If that’s not enough, Bitcoin’s next halving is scheduled for April, a process that will reduce the number of tokens awarded to miners by half, to 3.125. Mining companies are expected to ramp up their computing power to compete.

This means more noise.

Until now, mitigating the hum from computer cases has not been a priority, mining researcher Zack Voell said. Managing finely tuned mining operations and the volatility of power has been challenging enough.

“Mining is a very difficult industry,” Voell told DLNews. “So it’s like, ‘Oh, now I have to worry about noise too?’ That’s the last thing they would consider.”

However, Taras Kulyk, CEO of mining hardware provider SunnySide Digital, disagrees. “If you’re a reputable company, you certainly care about noise mitigation,” he told DLNews.

Anti-Seizure Medication

Shadden agrees.

“It’s time. We need to set a precedent here in Texas because it’s only going to get worse,” she said.

Nannette Samuelson, the mayor of Hood County where Granbury is located, told DLNews that she has been dealing with noise complaints for over a year.

“People are letting us know how this is affecting their lives, including migraines, nosebleeds, dizziness, hearing loss, and seizures,” Samuelson said. “Their animals are on anti-seizure medication.”

Daniel Rohde, who lives about half a mile from the mine, said the “constant rumble” has started to affect his livestock. “It’s starting to scare them quite a bit,” he said.

Residents say the walls of the Bitcoin mining facility do not mitigate the noise—Image source: Hood County News

Shadden, a nurse anesthetist who is outspoken and frustrated, is determined to rally action within the community, even receiving a warning from the sheriff to tone it down.

She seems unfazed. “Most people who know me, if you tell me to tone it down, that’s not going to happen,” she said. “I’m addressing this issue; this community needs help.”

90 Decibels

Shadden has been measuring the noise from the Granbury facility since May 2022. She says the rumble has gotten worse over the past six months.

She shared readings taken from her home with DLNews, showing the noise sometimes reaching 90 decibels, roughly equivalent to the sound of a motorcycle engine seven meters away.

Shadden said she has gathered data for local authorities, who have asked Marathon to address the issue.

Sheriff John Shirley told DLNews that he issued four citations to the facility two weeks ago and has since issued four more.

“Every day, as long as I find a possible reason to believe they are not complying with the law, I will issue a citation,” he said.

Marathon declined to comment on the citations but has begun efforts to address the issue.

The company’s policy chief Jayson Browder told DLNews that Marathon conducted a sound study and concluded that it complies with Texas law.

DLNews saw that Marathon shared a two-page document with the Granbury community, stating that it expects to add up to 30 new jobs and contribute $2 million in annual tax revenue.

Welcome to Granbury

Granbury is located on the banks of the Brazos River, about 40 miles from Fort Worth, and has been named one of America’s best historic small towns by USA Today for three consecutive years.

This quaint town of 11,000 residents also made headlines for enforcing one of the nation’s broadest book bans, targeting themes of gender, sexual orientation, and race. In 2020, it supported Donald Trump with up to 81% of the vote.

It is also the hometown of Stewart Rhodes, founder of the far-right militia group Oath Keepers, who began serving an 18-year prison sentence last year for his role in the January 6 Capitol riot.

Sheriff Shirley confirmed to DLNews that he was also a member of the Oath Keepers. He said he left the organization before the attack on the Capitol.

The mining facility in Granbury occupies about twelve football fields. Over the past few years, it has seen a turnover of different operators.

Since it began operations in 2022, the facility has changed hands several times. In November of that year, San Francisco-based investment firm Generate Capital purchased the facility and hired a company called Hut 8 to manage day-to-day operations.

The solution was to build a 24-foot-high sound barrier around the site—a massive metal wall filled with soundproofing material. This wall was completed late last year, covering only one side of the mine, while the other parts are protected by chain-link fencing, according to Hood County News.

Residents say this measure has not worked.

“I asked them, ‘Did you get a performance guarantee from the people who built this wall?’” Commissioner Samuelson said. “Because if you did, you need to go back and tell them it’s not working because people’s complaints are more now than before the barrier.”

Cheryl Shadden put up this sign on her property to express her views—Image source: ABC News

Hut 8 spokesperson Erin Dermer told DLNews that the company “facilitated conversations and obtained third-party advice to address the noise issue.” Ultimately, it was Generate Capital that approved the construction of the wall, and Hut 8 “oversaw its construction.”

Generate Capital did not respond to requests for comment.

White Noise Machines

Meanwhile, residents are turning to unusual methods to cope with the noise.

Some have turned to so-called white noise machines, according to local newspaper Hood County News. These devices produce sounds similar to flowing water or wind, designed to mask less tranquil noises, such as barking dogs, or in this case, the sounds from the Bitcoin mine.

Others have opted for medication. Lathers told DLNews that she takes “motion sickness pills” like candy.

“People are suffering. A few days ago, I spoke with a lady who was unwell,” Shadden said. “Everyone in her household is unwell, and her hair is falling out.”

Although Marathon has been named by the county government, the company insists it is complying with the law.

“No one has told me that what we are doing is illegal or that we are violating noise ordinance laws,” Schumacher told DLNews.

“If our operations are legal, then is this really a problem?”

Immersion Technology

Even so, the company is evaluating other methods to reduce noise at the facility, including reconfiguring containers housing mining equipment and possibly relocating some equipment to different sites.

Schumacher stated that Marathon may even consider using immersion technology, which would involve submerging mining equipment in so-called insulating oil to prevent overheating.

This would allow Marathon to completely eliminate the noisy fans used for cooling machines in Granbury.

The company has already deployed a similar setup in Abu Dhabi, at a cost of $406 million.

He said he could not estimate the cost of such modifications in Granbury.

The company is also considering appointing a community representative to engage directly with residents.

But on February 13, Marathon did not send a representative to a Hood County Council meeting that included a hearing on the issue.

“They didn’t show up today, which says a lot,” one attendee said.

Some residents expressed that they would like the facility to shut down until the noise is eliminated. One attendee told the audience that the county needs to “remember us little people,” a statement that earned applause.

While Marathon weighs how to address this issue, one thing is clear.

“People want the noise to go away,” Samuelson said. “They want their quality of life back.”