Lawyers claim noise pollution produced by DigiPowerX’s Erie Avenue facility could lead to long-term impacts for nearby neighbors
NORTH TONAWANDA, N.Y. — A new class action lawsuit seeks to hold DigiPowerX accountable for a number of issues allegedly plaguing residents that live near its North Tonawanda cryptocurrency mining plant.
Chief among them, legal firm Weitz & Luxenberg claims, is what it calls a “relentless onslaught” of noise pollution from the Erie Avenue facility. The firm alleges the company, formerly named Digithost, has failed to address years of complaints.Â
Cryptocurrency mining, the way new digital currency is created, is an energy-intensive process, often requiring millions of dollars in computer equipment that can run hot and require cooling solutions like industrial-grade, continuously-running fans. Those fans, the law firm claims, run at all hours of the day and produce low-frequency tones that, while not always audible to the ear, can create vibrations felt in the body.
“The noise is incessant and inescapable,” said Weitz & Luxenberg attorney Emma Dietz in a press release announcing the suit. “For residents of North Tonawanda, there is no relief. People have lost the simple pleasure of opening their window to feel a spring breeze and hear the birds chirping.”
The lawsuit aims to force DigiPowerX to pay monetary damages to impacted residents, compensate property owners for value lost as a result of the facility’s operations, and to agree to monitor for potential chronic illnesses linked to the noise produced by the facility.
2 On Your Side attempted to contact DigiPowerX for comment on the lawsuit. As of the time of publishing, the company has not responded to our request.
North Tonawanda Mayor Austin Tylec, meanwhile, supports efforts that would require the company to address the complaints he asserts are not new.
“This lawsuit reflects long standing concerns that have continued over time and have had a serious impact on our neighborhoods; concerns which the City has been working for years within its legal authority to address.,” Tylec said in a statement. “We are actively working with the owner on mitigation measures, including new equipment options that would reduce impacts. As the lawsuit proceeds, our focus remains on restoring peace and quiet for nearby residents.”