Texas residents sue Marathon Digital over loud mining noise

Residents of Hood Country in North Texas have filed a lawsuit against BTC block reward mining Marathon Digital (NASDAQ: MARA) over the “unbearably loud noise conditions” at its mining operations.

Citizens concerned about Wolf Hollow filed the lawsuit in Hood County District Court, accusing Marathon of failing to mitigate excessive noise pollution caused by 24-hour mining operations. The plaintiffs were represented by Earthjustice, a nonprofit organization that advocates for environmental protection in the United States and has filed similar lawsuits against other miners such as Digihost.

The lawsuit alleges that Marathon’s mining operations have had direct health effects on residents, including “permanent hearing loss, lack of sleep, headaches, tinnitus and dizziness.”

Specifically, residents allege that the intrusion takes the form of “intrusive, inescapable noise – as well as vibrations on homes and buildings – that result in extreme annoyance and personal discomfort.” According to the lawsuit, this results in sleep disturbances, irritability, anxiety and fatigue.

In the attached testimonials, some residents said they had been complaining to local authorities about noise pollution for months to no avail. They have also spoken to dozens of media outlets to draw attention to their plight, but Marathon has taken no steps to curb the noise. Others claim their social connections and interactions have been severely restricted as their friends no longer want to visit their homes.

“In such a short period of time, Bitcoin mining has completely changed our community, for the worse. Round-the-clock mining not only drives up our electricity bills, but it also costs us our health. We feel trapped. We are constantly exposed to noise day and night, which harms us physically. “We are not asking for much – just that Marathon take responsibility and restore our peace and well-being,” complained one Granbury resident.

The BTC mining operation at the center of the litigation was originally built in 2022 by Compute North, a mining company that went bankrupt later that year. After the bankruptcy, the ownership of the mining facility changed hands several times, with operators including Hut 8 and US Bitcoin Corp. Marathon acquired the site in January and has operated it since then.

According to the application, Marathon sources its energy from a 1,115-megawatt combined cycle gas and steam turbine generating facility in Granbury.

Residents vs. miners

This is not the first time that Marathon has been in court over its mining activities in Texas. Earlier this year, Granbury residents filed a lawsuit against David Fischer, the construction manager of the company’s mining site in Hood County. They claimed living conditions in the small town have been “a living nightmare” since Marathon took over operations of the facility.

However, a jury acquitted Fischer of all twelve charges against him. While the jury acknowledged residents’ complaints, it found that Fischer could not be held responsible for his company’s mistakes.

This time the residents are aiming for Marathon. Earthjustice Assistant Attorney Rebecca Ramirez states, “No company has the right to subject its neighbors to conditions that endanger their health and well-being.”

Rodrigo Cantú, the lead attorney handling the lawsuit, added: “The continued exposure to this noise is harmful to human, animal and environmental health.” Residents’ homes are no longer the refuge they should be. Marathon must take immediate action to effectively curb noise pollution or cease operations entirely.”

The lawsuit is the latest in many conflicts between miners and residents. In Murphy, a small town in western North Carolina, residents have filed a similar lawsuit against miners over the constant noise. One resident described life near the mine as comparable to “living at Niagara Falls.”

He added: “When it’s at its worst it’s like sitting on the tarmac with a jet engine in front of you. But the jet never takes off. The jet never takes off. It’s just annoying. It’s just a constant hassle.”

In another case earlier this year, an environmental group sued Stronghold Digital Mining and the state of Pennsylvania over noise pollution and the release of harmful chemicals into the local environment.

Outside the US, residents of other countries are also revolting against BTC miners. In Stokmarknes, a small town in northern Norway, constant complaints from residents led to the closure of a BTC mining facility operated by Kryptovault.

Watch: CoinGeek Weekly Livestream with Kurt Wuckert Jr. – Untangling Bitcoin Mining

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