US City Mulls Roll Out of Tougher Rules for Crypto Miners

Plattsburgh, New York, is considering bringing in stricter requirements on commercial cryptocurrency mining farms operating in the city.

Patrick McFarlin, a councilor of Plattsburgh's Common Council, proposed a new law last week that aims to introduce "zoning regulations" for commercial crypto mining activities. According to an update from the council Friday, a public hearing will now be held on Oct. 25 to determine whether to follow through with the proposal.

The suggested zoning rules cover a variety of categories such as fire safety, heat, nuisance abatement and special use permits. If approved, crypto mining farm operators in the city would immediately be required to keep the ambient temperature inside their facilities within 120 degrees Fahrenheit (48.8 degrees Celsius) at any time.

Should the average daily temperature outside the facilities be less than 40 degrees F (4.4 degrees C), mining farm operators must ensure that "no more than 20 percent of the heat dissipated by the mining activity shall be released directly to the outside."

The councilor further suggested enforcing a cap on noise generated by mining farms.

"No mining operation should produce more than 90 decibels (dB) from a distance of 25 feet from the exterior of the containment structure, to avoid any adverse effects for the residents," he detailed in the proposal.

The suggested rules follow a decision made by the city in March to introduce an 18-month moratorium on new mining operations after residents raised concerns over increased electricity costs and other issues. Local officials suggested at the time the ban could be lifted sooner, if protections are put in place.

Elsewhere in his proposal, McFarlin also pushed for a mandate that mining farm equipment must be "housed in an individually metered, electrically grounded and metal-encased structure," adding:

"All building requirements required by this section ... shall be designed by a New York State licensed engineer and in accordance with all applicable codes and standards."

Mining rigs image via Shutterstock