Photo credit: Worldspectrum
by Arline L. Bronzaft, Ph.D., Board of Directors, GrowNYC, Co-founder, The Quiet Coalition, and Honorary Chair, Quiet American Skies
Here is yet another article that turns our attention to the noise generated by bitcoin mining facilities. In this case, a group of residents living in Hood County, Texas, are being subjected to the continuous noise emitted by a nearby bitcoin mining facility. These residents are now taking the company that owns the facility to court.
The residents said the sounds from the mine are “shaking loud.” They added that noise from this facility affects their mental and physical health, including hearing loss, vertigo and tinnitus. One of the residents noted that her dogs and horses were stressed by the noise.
In response to the complaints from the residents about the noise, a spokesperson for the mine stated that it’s located in an industrial zone and that the sound levels associated with the facility are below legal limits. The spokesperson added that “there is no established link – medical or otherwise – between our operations and the broad ailments that are being alleged.”
In a Psychology Day article by Robert Bartholomew, published this past July, bitcoin noise levels are reported to be between 70 and 90 decibels, a level the article states is known to adversely affect human health. Bartholomew goes on to state that while the health claims of the residents in Hood County should be taken seriously, further study would be needed to confirm that their illnesses are linked to the noise from the mining facility.
