By Kimberly Crain
An advanced “Arkansas Democrat-Gazette” report revealed that policymakers from the 75 counties of Arkansas are seeking to pass an emergency bill on noise pollution from crypto mines. The lawmakers are planning to enforce the bill into law before implementing the new state legislation on August 1.
According to the new state law dubbed the Arkansas Data Centers Act of 2023, crypto mining firms are given the same rights as data centers. The new law will safeguard crypto mining companies from discriminatory regulations and taxes.
Arkansas Rushes to Pass New Bill
The bill was formulated by Senator Joshua Bryant and State Representative Rick McClure, aiming at protecting the interest of crypto mines. The Act 851 of 2023 recognizes that data centers create employment opportunities crucial for stimulating economic development in the region.
Also, the bill acknowledges that data centers are a source of government revenue. The new legislation has outlined the procedures necessary to protect the interest of the data centers from regulatory discrimination.
A report from McClure revealed that the bill was neither presented before the committees nor the legislative agency for regulatory scrutiny. Following the approval of the new bill, McClure lamented that the number of cases reported to the local authorities on noise from the mining facilities increased. He noted that large-scale mining for crypto assets is a significant problem in Arkansas due to noise.
Also read:Besides the noise pollution concerns, the complainants lamented that crypto mining facilities consumed high electricity. Most Arkansans blamed Green Digital, United BitEngine, and Cryptic Farms for noise pollution.
Arkansas Seeks to Mitigate Noise Pollution from Mining Facilities
A review of the state bill revealed that the policymakers failed to address the noise pollution from the crypto mining firms. The omission of noise control measures has obliged the policymakers to rush into implementing the new bill.
However, before implementing the new legislation, the Association of Arkansas Counties (AAC) formulated practical model laws for counties in June. Since then, 75 Arkansas state counties have submitted numerous noise regulatory requirements for data centers.
Speaking in a meeting, an official from Faulkner County, Kriss Kendrick, revealed that the noise pollution from the crypto mining diminishes the quality of life of Arkansans neighboring the facilities. The official stated that he has no issue with crypto mining activities in the region. However, the only concern Kendrick and the policymakers have was the noise pollution from the crypto mines.
He lamented that the neighbors are limited to enjoying their social life due to noise from the mines. Kendrick noted that the Arkansans could neither enjoy staying on the front porch nor at the back porch due to the annoying noise. He decried that the Arkansans are exposed to noise from the crypto mines 24/7.
A review of the new legislation demonstrated that the local authority is restricted from direct involvement in crypto-mining activities. Firstly the new law prohibits the authority from discriminating against crypto mining activity.
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