Bitcoin mine brings frustrated residents to Ridgway Township meeting
RIDGWAY-- Almost 40 residents attended the Ridgway Township Supervisors' meeting on Tuesday over the controversial Pin Oak Bitcoin mine.
Amanda Balon, the co-owner and operator of the Big Maple Natural Therapies Farm and horse therapy clinic, was one of the first residents to bring this operation to the Ridgway Township Supervisors' attention in January of this year.
"Ever since they began operations of the Bitcoin mine near our property, my family, farm, and businesses have been severely impacted by the constant noise from the site, and it has led to death for some of my animals as well as health issues with my horses,” Balon said.
Big Maple Farm's egg production has been slashed in half, with over a quarter of her stock of roaster chickens also dying due to the constant stress and noise coming from the mine, and one of her therapy horses almost died last week from stress-induced ulcers.
"As a farmer, there is nothing more important than the health and well-being of my animals," Balon said. “And if it is having these effects on my animals, just imagine what effects it is having on the health of my family and my neighbors."
Tempers were raised as dozens of residents expressed their frustration with the situation, adding a list of complaints that echoed Balon's and adding more of their own. From changes in local wildlife, pet issues, lack of sleep, and the general loss of quiet.
"We live in the country for the peace outside of downtown for a reason," many residents said. “We might as well be sitting at the intersection of Broad and Main Streets in downtown Ridgway during traffic now."
Anger at the Pin Oak facility boiled over into anger at the supervisors, who residents took to task for 'allowing' the site to continue operating. Residents complained of decibel levels well above the 65 Db, which is close to the 85 Db level that has been proven to be damaging to hearing in humans.
Pin Oak recently moved two new banks of computers and cooling towers onto the site, bringing the total to eight, with an additional level of noise added to the already constant din generated at the site.
Pin Oak Energy acquired the property producing Marcellus and conventional assets from an undisclosed seller in Elk County. As part of the transaction, Pin Oak Energy also acquired a 12-mile midstream gathering system capable of delivering a peak volume of 25,000 MMBtu/Day for a large industrial enduser.
Pin Oak Midstream LLC (a Pin Oak Energy affiliate) operates the midstream gathering assets. In addition, the company entered into an agreement with the seller covering the development of over 20,000 net acres in Elk County, which is prospective for both Marcellus and Utica.
It is not Pin Oak that is operating the BitCoin mining operation, but their gas wells and generators are providing the massive amounts of electrical energy that is required for BitCoin mining. In the past few months, eight cooling blocks with attached ASICs have been brought in to exhaust the enormous amounts of heat generated by the application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) used in bitcoin mining.
"They snuck this in in the middle of the night without our knowledge." Chris Klase, Chairman of the Supervisors, said. “And we are not in any way profiting from the operation, but we have to go through the process of holding a zoning meeting in the coming month and following the rules. We invite you all to come to that meeting of the zoning board and legally engage in the process of making your complaints known and possibly having this situation be modified in some way."
Tentatively, the date of July 20 has been chosen as the meeting date, which will have representatives from Pin Oak presenting a requested zoning permit to change the zoning of the site that is currently listed as oil and gas well extraction. However, an electric generator to process that gas into power, and the now eight computer banks and assorted cooling towers have been added to the site as free-standing structures that were offloaded from tractor-trailers and placed on the property, with no building.
By setting up the site this way, Pin Oak never had to apply for building permits and quickly set up the site, turning on the machines and beginning "mining" with no one at the township aware of the process at the site that for years has housed natural gas extraction wells.
Alternately, the supervisors are considering, along with their solicitor, passing an ordinance like Fox Township that would restrict Bitcoin mining facilities to areas that are zoned as light industrial.
The Ridgway Record reached out to Pin Oak for comment, but there was no response from the company at press time.
In other Ridgway Township news, Fairview Asphalt was awarded the contract for the summer sealing of cracks and small holes on township-owned roadways.
A residential rental property that has not had any tenants in al
most a year and is the source of significant stormwater issues on Grant Road is being examined for purchase and demolition by the supervisors following an affirmative vote at Tuesday's meeting.
Dead hemlock trees at the Ridgway Township main site on Montmorenci Road will be placed out to bid for removal and disposal.
The Ridgway Township Supervisors voted unanimously to donate $2,500 to the Borough of Ridgway's Summer Park Program.
After successfully being awarded a grant for the total cost from the Mini-Greenways program, a handicapped accessible deck will be placed at the first fishing hole at Sandy Beach Park.
The Water Street paving project is set to begin the week of July 18 in the Township, with completion by the end of the month. While the project is ongoing, there may be a few days when the quick byway from Ridgway Township to Johnsonburg will be closed to all traffic except for residents of the thoroughfare.
Nothing out of order was pointed out in the Treasurer's Report, and bills were approved to be paid with no exceptions.
The next meeting of the Ridgway Township Supervisors is scheduled for July 19, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Township Offices located at 1537A Montmorenci Road. The public is invited to attend.