New regulations may soon reduce noise from the NF bitcoin mine
NIAGARA FALLS, NY – The battle for Bitcoin continues in Niagara Falls.
Residents say the noise created by Bitcoin mines is disrupting their quality of life, and they want it to stop.
For Bryan Maacks, the most important way he can find an escape is in his backyard workshop, where he makes drums, boxes, incense holders and other wooden crafts for his business, Moxes Boxes.
“I’ve been training here pretty much eight hours a day,” he said. “It’s been good for me so far as to have something to do to vent my frustrations.”
For 45 years, the Niagara Falls House has been Maack’s home.
“It started as a terrible vibrating hum,” he recalled.
About five months ago, something changed.
“What has changed is that we have moved a new neighbor into the community called US Bitcoin.”
That facility is about half a mile away. You can hear the fans working up close.
“I could openly hear the roar of the waterfall,” he said. “Now it’s the roar of the fans.”
Maacks started a signature campaign. He and about 50 other residents signed and said that they can also hear the noise in their homes.
“I have to use noise to neutralize the noise,” he explained. “Something ironic.”
Maacks says the sounds change.
“We need the old neighborhood noise back,” he added.
It sounds something like a jet engine when it starts and then returns to the steady hum almost every single day.
“Many times it has given me headaches, nausea,” complained Maacks.
“They have every right to be disturbed,” said Robert Restaino, the mayor of Niagara Falls.
There is a moratorium in the city for new cryptocurrency operations until September.
The mayor and the city are working on a high-energy overlay district to address this issue.
“We have set a decibel level to be able to measure it,” Restaino said. “When we are able to measure it against what the statutes say, we can make decisions and violations.”
This change is working through the city and the county and will also address environmental considerations.
“The concern of the people is, ‘oh, there he goes again and says this thing. It will not happen until 2072. ‘ “Look, that’s where you’re wrong,” said Restaino. “We are not talking about anything that does not happen until you have grandchildren.”
This is good news for Maacks, who are ready to pull back the sign in the truck that says “US Bitcoin Stop The Noise” and enjoy retirement.
“I have a lot of people with horns and walk by with my thumbs up,” Maacks said.
His request for US Bitcoin is from them to stop the noise and be a good neighbor.
“Other than that, I do not really care,” Maacks explained.
Because if it continues, he’s back in the garage.
“That was all I talked about when I retire,” he said. “I’m going to come out here and make boxes full time, and of course US Bitcoin helped me with that.”
But this time he wants to put his frustrations into something special.
“An outhouse that says US Bitcoin,” laughed Maacks.
Spectrum news 1 contacted US Bitcoin for a statement. They have not yet responded.
Mayor Restaino said during a meeting with local Bitcoin facilities that they had questions about whether they would become grandparents and other renewable energy issues.
Restaino says he will work to make their businesses operate, but will not sacrifice the residents’ quality of life.
