Granbury residents sue bitcoin mining operation

GRANBURY – A group of Granbury community members, represented by Earthjustice, filed a lawsuit (case number: C2024253) in Texas State Court, Hood County, against Marathon Digital Holdings, Inc., which operates a bitcoin mine in Granbury, Texas. The lawsuit alleges that Marathon creates a private nuisance by causing and then failing to mitigate excessive noise pollution caused by their 24/7 proof-of-work cryptocurrency mining operations, resulting in sustained harm to the surrounding community. Earthjustice filed the lawsuit on behalf of Citizens Concerned About Wolf Hollow.

Proof-of-work cryptocurrency mining is an energy-intensive process involving tens of thousands of large computers running 24/7, and the constant roar of fans used to cool the machines results in excessive noise pollution. Prior to filing the lawsuit, Earthjustice identified over two dozen individuals who suffer direct health impacts due to the constant noise pollution from the cryptomining operations. Examples include permanent hearing loss, severe migraines, tinnitus and debilitating vertigo. Earthjustice is seeking a permanent injunction, demanding that the cryptomining operations either shut down or immediately implement measures to significantly reduce the harms caused by the excessive noise pollution.

“The Marathon cryptomining operations are creating significant noise pollution in Granbury, resulting in serious health and quality of life impacts to the surrounding community. 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,” said Rodrigo Cantú, Senior Attorney with Earthjustice’s Gulf Regional Office.

Marathon operates its bitcoin mining facility behind-the-meter at the Wolf Hollow gas plant in Granbury. The gas plant is a 1,115 megawatt combined-cycle gas and steam turbine generation facility, with plans to bring an additional 300 megawatts of gas-fired generation online.

“The people of Granbury have been forced to endure constant and unrelenting noise from Marathon’s cryptomining operations. No corporation has the right to subject their neighbors to conditions that jeopardize their health and well-being. Marathon must reduce its noise pollution,” said Rebecca Ramirez, Associate Attorney with Earthjustice’s Gulf Regional Office.

“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. 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,” said Granbury resident, Cheryl Shadden.