US City Mulls Roll Out of Tougher Rules for Crypto Miners

Plattsburgh, New York, is considering stricter requirement for commercial cryptocurrency mining farms operating in the city.

AccessTimeIconOct 15, 2018 at 12:46 p.m. UTC
Updated Aug 18, 2021 at 10:03 p.m. UTC

Presented By Icon

Election 2024 coverage presented by

Stand with crypto

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.

  • Bitcoin Mining in the U.S. Will Become 'a Lot More Decentralized': Core Scientific CEO
    13:18
    Bitcoin Mining in the U.S. Will Become 'a Lot More Decentralized': Core Scientific CEO
  • Binance to Discontinue Its Nigerian Naira Services After Government Scrutiny
    05:10
    Binance to Discontinue Its Nigerian Naira Services After Government Scrutiny
  • The first video of the year 2024
    04:07
    The first video of the year 2024
  • The last regression video of the year 3.67.0
    40:07
    The last regression video of the year 3.67.0
  • 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

    Disclosure

    Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information have been updated.

    CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of the Bullish group, which owns and invests in digital asset businesses and digital assets. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive Bullish group equity-based compensation. Bullish was incubated by technology investor Block.one.


    Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.