Texas residents sue Marathon Digital over loud mining noise

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The residents of Hood Country in Northern Texas have filed a lawsuit against BTC block reward mining Marathon Digital (NASDAQ: MARA) over the “intolerably loud noise conditions” from its mining operations.

Citizens Concerned About Wolf Hollow filed the lawsuit at the District Court for Hood County, accusing Marathon of failing to mitigate excessive noise pollution caused by its 24/7 mining operations. The plaintiffs were represented by Earthjustice, a nonprofit that champions environmental protection in the U.S., and has filed similar lawsuits against other miners like Digihost.

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

Specifically, the residents claim the intrusion comes in the form of “intrusive, inescapable noise—as well as vibrations to homes and structures—that result in extreme annoyance and personal discomfort.” It results in lost sleep, irritability, anxiousness, and fatigue, according to the lawsuit.

In the attached testimonials, some residents revealed that they have been complaining about the noise pollution with local authorities for months to no avail. They have also spoken to dozens of media outlets to highlight their plight, but Marathon has not taken any steps to curb the noise. Others claim their social ties and interactions have been severely limited as their friends no longer want to visit their homes.

“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,” one Granbury resident lamented.

The BTC mining operation at the heart of the legal battle was originally constructed by Compute North in 2022, a mining firm that went bankrupt later that year. After its bankruptcy, the ownership of the mining facility changed hands several times, with Hut 8 and the U.S. Bitcoin Corp. among some of its operators. Marathon acquired the site in January and has been operating it since.

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

Residents vs miners

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

However, a jury acquitted Fischer of all 12 charges against him. While it acknowledged the residents’ grievances, the jury noted that Fischer couldn’t be held accountable for his company’s wrongs.

This time, the residents are gunning for Marathon. Earthjustice associate attorney Rebecca Ramirez states, “No corporation has the right to subject their neighbors to conditions that jeopardize their health and well-being.”

Rodrigo Cantú, the senior attorney handling the lawsuit, added: “Persistent exposure to this noise is detrimental to 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.”

The lawsuit is the latest in many conflicts between miners and local residents. In Murphy, a small town in western North Carolina, residents have filed a similar lawsuit against miners for the constant noise. One resident described living close to the mine as similar to “living on top of 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 leaves. The jet never takes off. It’s just annoying. It’s just constant annoyance.”

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

Beyond the U.S., residents in 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.

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