Penn State :
Cryptocurrency Miner Reacts to Her Growing Up.
Pennsylvania, a state known for its cryptocurrency mining activities, is facing a
lawsuit over environmental pollution. According to a judicial document
Pennsylvania has failed to protect its residents from the carbon
dioxide emissions resulting from cryptocurrency mining operations.
On Tuesday :
an environmental NGO in Pennsylvania called Carbon County Conservation
filed a lawsuit in the state court, accusing Stronghold Digital Mining company.
It was alleged that the company was burning coal waste
and tires to generate energy for its cryptocurrency mining operations.
According to the complaint
Stronghold's mining in northeast Pennsylvania has caused sufficient
environmental damage through intensive Bitcoin mining operations.
A report by Reuters also mentioned that
the lawsuit names Pennsylvania as a defendant.
Aaron Freiwald :
- the attorney for the association
- stated on Tuesday that this is
- the first time the state has been sued
for violating constitutional provisions guaranteeing citizens
the right to a clean environment by allowing cryptocurrency mines.
Stronghold Digital Mining claimed that
it emitted six million tons of carbon dioxide annually.
The environmental group stated that Pennsylvania has failed to ban cryptocurrency
mining or promote less energy-intensive methods such as "proof of stake."
Carbon County :
Conservation argued that Stronghold
has caused public nuisance, public nuisance responsibility, and public neglect.
The group seeks compensation from the company for cryptocurrency
mining pollution and environmental damage it has already caused.
A spokesperson for Stronghold denied the allegations, stating tha
the company instead cleans up the land and water in the area.
"Stronghold facilities have cleaned up millions of tons of coal waste and restored
over 1050 acres of land that were once polluted, which are now sports fields, parks
and fishing spots for local communities."
From tire burning to green methods
In 2021 :
- Stronghold Digital Mining Inc. acquired the Panther
- Creek power station for cryptocurrency mining. So far
- the station has received at least seven violations related to
unauthorized air :
pollution under the Department of Environmental Protection.
In addition to transporting coal waste from multiple sites
the company resorted to burning tires to power its energy generation mix.
Russell Zerbo :
the federal advocacy coordinator for the Clean Air Council in Pennsylvania
told Cryptonews that burning tires significantly increases harmful air pollution.
He added:
"Burning tires increases the emissions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)
from the Panther Creek station in Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania.
PAH pollution includes many carcinogens."
Zerbo also pointed out the lack of precautionary
measures that can be taken to implement sustainable mining.
"Cryptocurrency mining is a complete waste of electricity
there are no sustainable ways to do it."
According to Lena Klaassen
co-founder of the Cryptocurrency Carbon Rating Institute (CCRI)
there should be more transparency about
the energy sources used in Bitcoin mining.
She told :
- the blockchain are responsible for Bitcoin-related
- emissions as part of their emission scope (value chain).
"Energy use is inevitable in the proof-of-work mechanism that Bitcoin relies on.
In the face of the impending climate crisis, priority should
be given to greening the crypto industry.
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