In a recent legal action, nine residents of Texas have filed a lawsuit against MARA Holdings, accusing its Bitcoin mining operation in Granbury of producing incessant noise and low-frequency vibrations that disrupt daily life and pose health risks. The complaint, initially reported by Blockspace, was lodged on Friday in the Northern District of Texas court, seeking damages exceeding $1 million and requesting a jury trial. According to the plaintiffs, this constitutes a lasting private nuisance, significantly diminishing their quality of living and property values.
This legal action adds to several ongoing disputes related to the same facility. The plaintiffs, hailing from multiple families residing as near as 0.01 miles away, claim the site’s cooling systems operate around-the-clock, causing noise that infiltrates homes. Some residents now avoid opening windows or spending time outdoors due to these disturbances and report feeling vibrations within their homes.
The lawsuit states: “This case emerges from the denial of Plaintiffs’ use and enjoyment of their property due to interference caused by MARA’s management and operation of Cryptomine.” It details that persistent noise and vibrations stemming from low-frequency emissions have disrupted residents’ lives, leading to health issues directly linked to the facility’s operations.
Reported health impacts include insomnia, headaches, tinnitus, anxiety, fatigue, hearing loss, and hypertension. Some residents have also noticed changes in livestock behavior and decreased wildlife activity.
The plaintiffs note that these conditions intensified following MARA’s acquisition of the facilities in 2024. In March 2024, MARA issued a statement acknowledging efforts to engage with the community and address site-related concerns.
“We are dedicated to being considerate members of our new community, actively seeking input on our data center operations,” stated MARA. “Our aim is to keep you informed about our progress. We value community feedback and collaboration during this process.” The complaint outlines claims for private nuisance, negligence, intentional emotional distress, and restitution, asserting that MARA neglected to mitigate the facility’s impact despite awareness of its effects on neighbors.
While MARA has implemented measures like shutting down certain air-cooled units, constructing sound barriers, and transitioning to liquid immersion cooling, residents assert these actions have not resolved the problem. Neither plaintiffs’ attorneys nor representatives from MARA Holdings responded immediately to Decrypt’s request for comments.
The lawsuit emerges amid the expansion of Bitcoin mining enterprises into artificial intelligence and high-performance computing sectors. These companies are repurposing mining sites for AI workloads, utilizing existing power and cooling infrastructure to secure new contracts as demand for data centers increases.
This growth has sparked increasing resistance. Across the U.S., large data centers face criticism over noise, electricity consumption, water usage, and local resource strain. In Maine, a pioneering moratorium on new large-scale AI data centers was recently enacted by lawmakers, driven by concerns over their community impact.