Mining disturbs people, the city of Plattsburgh in the United States will impose special taxes on miners

The Plattsburgh City Common Council is considering a new law that, combined with a state tariff structure, would regulate cryptocurrency businesses.

A public hearing will be held at City Hall Chambers, 41 City Hall Plaza, on Thursday, October 25 at 5:01 p.m.

The meeting content includes:

• End measures imposed in late February that prevent any other miners from operating for 18 months while the issue is studied.

• Ensure all new mine operators comply with health, safety and nuisance prevention regulations.

The law was prompted by concerns that mining was causing distress to local residents in the city of Plattsburgh.

Many cryptocurrencies are mined using computers, which use a lot of electricity and generate a lot of noise and heat. If the mine is not located deep in the mountains and forests, it is likely to cause trouble to nearby residents.

The city government of Plattsburgh, USA, found that from December 2017 to January this year, their monthly hydropower purchases from the New York Power Authority were higher than before. They found that the city's two cryptocurrency miners used more electricity than the entire Georgia Pacific Power Plant (a small power plant). Mayor Colin Read said the cost was seven times higher than before. But the cost increase was shared by all taxpayers in the city.

The city has therefore requested a new tariff structure that would require miners to pay for the entire electricity overage they cause.

In addition to the impact on electricity bills, mining operations have sparked complaints from neighbors and other citizens about noise, nuisance and heat waves.

In late February, the city ruled that no additional commercial cryptocurrency operations would be allowed for 18 months and formed an advisory committee in hopes of developing appropriate and reasonable protections for the community.

The result of that effort is this proposed local law that would 1. require miners to operate in a closed environment with limits on heat and noise, and 2. tax them.

“This is a new and dynamic industry that caught this and many other cities by surprise when it arrived in 2016,” the market said in a release. “Once the negative impacts were apparent, it was imperative that we put in place a set of regulations to ensure that the industry does not cause harm to taxpayers or community members. Our petition to the New York State Public Service Commission and our proposed changes to local law can protect our citizens and serve as a model for other cities across the country and around the world trying to navigate this rapid growth.”