North Texas community says crypto-mining facility brings never-ending noise | Hacker News Reader

North Texas community says crypto-mining facility brings never-ending noise

cbsnews.com

47 pointsNoRagrets36 comments

It's Texas. As long as an industry is below 85dbA at the property line, they're compliant with state law.[1] Some municipalities, notably Forth Worth, have lower limits. But the state limits the power of municipalities to regulate oil and gas mining. Fracking sites, unlike traditional oil wells, are quite noisy.

[1] https://www.cailaw.org/media/files/IEL/ConferenceMaterial/20...

Which is apparently about as loud as a vacuum or blender.

At the property line.

It'd help build a case if they took measurements of noise around the property. I'm not saying it isn't true or anything like it but 'loud noise' can mean a multitude of things. I'd say my downstairs neighbors have jet engines in their house but sometimes it's just a vacuum cleaner and I'm a bit miffed that day. If they'd said that a sound level meter reported +80db at 500m or 1km away, that'd give readers and potential visitors a real measure of the problem and it's consequences.

I'd have a nephew or younger sibling with some take on his hands to make measurements around it and make a graph with the sound levels at various radii and times of day, that'd build you a strong case for the factory being hazardous to health - and hopefully give you ammo for the upcoming legal trouble there'll be over there.

> hopefully give you ammo for the upcoming legal trouble

Alternatively, since this is Texas, just walk real close to the miners’ property; that’ll give you some ammo, too.

I don't doubt these bring awful externalities, but children requiring cochlear implants due to hearing loss from a nearby datacenter?

But think about all those virtual coins worth absolutely nothing being "mined" ..?!

Loud noises slowly hurt the body from ears to brain. The effects are not instant but they are real.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNd3Eo5bvvw

I can't believe they don't have a recording/video of the noise and noise level readings. I don't doubt there is noise but I'd like to better understand what they are hearing. Also, what about crypto mining is noisy? Is it massive fans or pumps for water? What am I missing? Actual mining is loud, that makes sense, but this is a datacenter, why is it so loud?

https://cryptonews.com/news/texas-jury-acquits-crypto-miner-...

Texas Jury Acquits Marathon, from July 11, 2024 at 03:09 CDT

Where the parent article is Updated on: July 21, 2024 / 3:40 PM CDT / CBS Texas

I'm baffled at the reporting.

It's not really very relevant. First, it doesn't say why the jury acquitted. It mentions two different defenses that were offered. (1) The noise measurements were not accurate, and (2) the case was brought against the wrong defendant (the manager of the facility rather than the mining company).

If they acquitted because of #2 then it is completely irrelevant.

If they acquitted because of #1 then it just means that the jury didn't believe that the measurements done by the Constable were accurate. It doesn't mean that there is no noise problem or that the noise is under the legal limits.

Well, why NOT attack random people when you're already part of the greatest pyramid scheme in history? Also, apparently you CAN mess with Texas, or rather, with Texans quite easily.

This again? I can understand the sentiment 12 years ago, but now?

Has anything changed?

https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2024/07/23/blackrocks-spot-...

I miss the topic. Can you elaborate about what happened 12 years ago?

The poster is saying that cryptocurrency is a pyramid scheme. 12 years ago(or 13) in its infancy, you could've had this sentiment.

But now you have ETFs, it's as legitimate as it comes.

An exchange traded fund is not a sign of legitimacy. Make your point but don’t bullshit - massive claims like this only make crypto seem sketchier.

So Donald Trump, hated as he may be, speaking about further legitimacy of Bitcoin is also not proof enough?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2024/07/28/absol...

Sorry to hear, why don't you complaing to your state gov ? Works for me. Wait, nevermind Texas, a place were only the very rich has rights.

Noise regulations are not just too lenient in most places, but they are also not enforced. It is also hard to enforce even if a city wants to because a lot of noises are intermittent. But mining facilities like this should be shut down because they have a continuous buzzing. Owners should be given retroactive fines.

Uncontrollable noise is really stressful. I'm surprised that as a society we don't regulate noise better.

Most places do. Texas does not because something something burdensome to free enterprise (fracking is extremely noisy).

Not in the USA. Two Seattle examples:

1. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/29/us/seattle-belltown-hellc...

2. I had a neighbor who left her dog in the yard for 10 hours a day to bark constantly, every weekday, for six months. She had to pay a ~$250 fine by the end. That was the maximum allowed fine every few months.

I dealt with this. I had the prosecutor refuse to do anything. I ended up moving with my family. We do not regulate noise well.

Texans don't like government regulations.

The idea that Texans don't like government regulations isn't really backed by evidence. For example, the Cato Institute ranks Texas #17 in terms of overall freedom versus nearby states like Arizona which ranks #4 and Nevada which ranks #5.

https://www.freedominthe50states.org/

#17 is still higher in that ranking than the large majority of US states.

Still, that's just the opinion of that organization. What's important is the opinions of the Texas voters, and they vote for politicians who generally oppose government regulation. I think it's extremely unlikely that they'll vote for anyone who promises to pass legislation to curb noise pollution.

Texas is big in economic freedom and not that great in personal freedom unless it's about guns.

It seems too loud just about everywhere.

We do. This is just deregulated paradise Texas.

I don't complain Texas supplies Europe with LNG and their carcinogenic sacrifice is appreciated.

Fake money wastes real energy and creates a real public nusiance.

Drove by Granbury, near decommissioned nuclear power plant.

Legally deaf, I am.

Literally could "Cum Feel The Noise" or something.

I could swear I read this exact story years ago

Well Time covered this in February (33 points, 52 comments) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39235518

Then there was a story about North Carolina in 2023 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34444618

Another one from 2022 https://www.thedailybeast.com/a-crypto-mine-is-making-life-a...

Of course it's Granbury........

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