New York State City Debating Tougher Laws for Commercial Crypto Miners

Cryptocurrency mining regulation has been adopted throughout the world, yet in most places, it isn’t too strict, and it doesn’t discourage the activity. Now, recent reports indicate that the city of Plattsburgh, New York, is considering enforcing tougher requirements for cryptocurrency mining facilities located in the city.

Recently, Patrick McFarlin, who is a member of the Common Council, has started deliberations on a new legislative act that would impose a zoning regulation for all local commercial mining activities. This means that mining operators will have to respect stricter heat, safety, and noise rules. Additionally, the law also involves special city-issued permits for those who want to engage in this activity.

In terms of heat regulations, operators would have to keep the ambient temperature inside the mining farm below the threshold of 48.8 degrees Celsius. The proposal also states that “no more than 20% of the heat dissipated by the mining activity shall be released directly to the outside.”

There’s also a section that means to reduce noise pollution generated by mining hardware. With this in mind, the proposal reads: “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.”

Another section of the proposal might force some mining operators to relocate to another building. As such, all mining hardware should be kept in buildings that are designed by licensed NY engineers, and which respect all safety standards. Equipment should be kept on an individually metered electric connection, and should be stored on metal-encased structures that are electrically-grounded.

It is believed that McFarlin proposed these regulations due to the rising electricity consumption of the city, alongside several other issues. Luckily, despite being stricter, the law doesn’t attempt to discourage mining activities. Rather, it will try to make sure that the city’s mining farms do not become a nuisance to the public, or pollute the environment.

It is worth pointing out the fact that back in March, the city of Plattsburgh announced an 18-month temporary ban on new mining operations. At that time, city officials stated that the moratorium could be lifted much sooner, as long as new rules are put in place to lower resident concerns. If the law proposed by McFarlin passes, it would bring along the end of the ban, and make the city more relevant in the cryptocurrency mining market.