However, Panther Creek alone has had 15 air quality violations since 2018. Thirteen of those violations are for not doing air quality tests. DEP’s files, which are available to the public but are not found on the application page, show that Panther Creek has eleven unresolved air quality violations. The first dates back to Oct. 2018.
Steve Welsh, a Carbon County resident, admonished Panther Creek and DEP for endangering residents for multi-millionaires’ benefit.
“We’re fighting for clean air, they’re earning a paycheck. At the town council meeting, I wanted to lean into the point that we are having this conversation for the glory of mining bitcoin. This is an electrically wasteful process that enriches a few to the detriment of our communities,” said Welsh.
Cryptocurrency mining takes a lot of computer power and is taxing on the environment, according to The White House. As of Aug. 2022, they estimate that crypto-assets cost between 120 and 240 billion kilowatt-hours per year.
Panther Creek Power Plant is located between Wilkes-Barre and Allentown.
They snuck this through during the holiday season. And so now if you have a problem with this you can only email the PA DEP and contact your elected representatives – especially at the Pennsylvania state level.
https://www.media.pa.gov/Pages/DEP_details.aspx?newsid=1834
I think powering cryptocurrency should be prohibited as an activity that is dangerous to a livable environment. Burning tires to fuel cryptocurrency and power hogging scams generally is unacceptable. I’m nostalgic for the days of “high frequency trading” waste at this point.
Update PUBLIC HEARING NOV 4
No to air pollution & burning tires for the benefit of cryptocurrency tycoons.
My letter to Governor Josh Sharpiro, PA DEP public comment period, and other elected representatives:
Panther Creek Power Plant cannot be allowed to continue air pollution violations, and definitely should not be allowed to burn tires. Power plants are meant to be infrastructure to benefit the human communities and should not be allowed to be allocated for the benefit of adding to the wallets of cryptocurrency tycoons and the spreadsheets of digital corporations. Our environment and our future is more important than some scam coin and the big shots who get rich off this pointless scheme.
(Feel free to use my letter and repurpose it for your own letters to reps or the PA DEP.)
Panther Creek Power Plant sure looks environmentally harmful.
The Panther Creek Power Plant in Carbon County Pennsylvania belongs to the parent company Stronghold Digital Mining with a website that actually makes the claim: “The only environmentally beneficial and vertically integrated public Bitcoin mining company.”
Cryptocurrency company responds to lawsuit By Isabela Weiss | WVIA News | Report for America Published April 18, 2024 at 4:15 PM EDT Panther Creek received 18 environmental safety violations since Stronghold took over in 2021. 17 of those violations are for air pollution. That data comes from the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) eFACTS website. However, Stronghold only lists eight violations on a recent DEP permit application. Panther Creek currently burns waste coal, but wants to add tire burning to the mix. The permit would allow it to use tire-derived fuel (TDF) to supplement 15 percent of its monthly electricity use by weight. [emphasis added]
PUBLIC HEARING NOV 4 & PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
PA Environment Digest Blog: DEP Sets Nov. 4 Hearing On Air Quality Permit For Panther Creek Coal Waste-Fired Power Plant In Carbon County – Friday, October 4, 2024
The hearing will be held at the Panther Valley Junior/Senior High School Auditorium, 912 Coal Region Way, Lansford, PA 18232 from 6:00 to 9:30 p.m.
Individuals wishing to testify at the hearing submit a written notice of their intent to Mark Wejkszner P.E, Northeast Region Air Quality Program Manager, Department of Environmental Protection, Air Quality Program, Wilkes-Barre Regional Office, 2 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701-1915 or call (570) 826-2511 or email mwejkszner@pa.gov.
Persons unable to attend the hearing can submit written testimony to the Department through December 28, 2024
Cryptocurrency CEO Greg Beard
Stronghold Digital Mining’s CEO Greg Beard lists his location as New York, NY on twitter, where he was last active in December 2023 promoting carbon capture bullshit. His Linkedin says he has “more than 25 years experience investing in the Natural Resources sector”…
There are people organizing for the benefit of humans and the environment in Carbon County.
https://www.savecarboncounty.com
Note: I have no affiliation with the Save Carbon County organization. I found a link to their website on the PA Environment Digest Blog.
Scammy, polluting cryptocurrency.
The Philadelphia Inquirer – How scammy, polluting cryptocurrency hijacked the 2024 election The billionaire bros of crypto are pumping millions into the 2024 election to avoid regulation. What could go wrong? by Will Bunch | Columnist Published Oct. 3, 2024
What we are witnessing in the 2024 election is the worst nightmare of the good-government groups who’ve been warning for decades about the corrupting influence of Big Money in American politics. The $119 million the crypto industry has poured into U.S. politics this year — so far — is believed to be the most money one industry has ever spent in one cycle. And the nature of this plot is clear: A handful of billionaires and lucrative corporations who owe their wealth to what its harshest critics call “a pyramid scheme” are seekin
An update about the PA DEP public meeting.
DEP hosts Panther Creek hearing – Published November 05. 2024 02:55 PM by RON GOWER TNEDITOR@TNONLINE.COM
Linda Christman, president of Save Carbon County, a nonprofit environmental group, said, “The current management (of Panther Creek) operates only to serve the creation of bitcoins. They have had numerous violations and have shown that their operation will only comply with your rules and regulations to the extent that you provide close oversight.” She said, “The owners reap millions while polluting our water, our air and undoubtedly causing our electric costs to increase.” Christman testified that as of October, 10,000 additional specialized computers called “miners” were added to the operation of the Panther Creek Power Plant. “This means that more power will be needed for the purpose of creating bitcoins and the new owner of the plant has indicated there will be no more power contributed to the grid.” She urged the DEP to “end the treatment of Panther Creek as a power generator now.” She also asked the DEP “to require the installation of electrostatic precipitators to provide needed additional protection from the cancer-causing pollution emitted by this plant on a 24/7 basis.” According to Christman, the plant is burning construction debris as fuel. “The practice must stop,” she said. “There is no way to verify this debris does not contain asbestos, plastics, PCBs, or other dangerous pollutants.” She also said tire shreds are stored on the plant property, are not covered by tarps and could result in pollution to waterways. “Under no circumstances should the plant be allowed to burn tire shreds,” she said. Hawk said the current permit allows only for the burning of waste coal and number 2 fuel oil. “No other materials, such as tire-derived fuel, are included in the permit renewal,” he said. Lucy Freck of Kunkletown said, “Panther Creek seeks a permit to burn tires, which has not yet been acted upon. If permitted, this would release polyaromatic hydrocarbons into the atmosphere.” She said a Right to Know response states Panther Creek is allowed to burn construction debris that can contain pollutants, including asbestos and PCBs. Carol Etheridge of Mahoning Township said Stronghold Digital “operates Panther Creek Power for bitcoin mining.” She said there are plans to expand current operations by adding 10,000 miners and double the megawatt available “by isolating the power plants from the grid, otherwise known as islanding, to provide power to a bitcoin data center.” She said the plans are outlined in filings to the Security and Exchange Commission. “Bitfarms is a for-profit corporation that has no intention of providing power to the grid or contributing in any way to our community,” she said, adding, “let’s ensure that we are not putting toxins in our air, the environment and water.”
{emphasis added}