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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has released it’s draft generic environmental impact study on the environmental, climate, public health, and other impacts of cryptocurrency mining, particularly proof-of-work based processes.

You can read the DGEIS by clicking here. More information about this study is available on the DEC’s “Climate Change Statutes, Regulations, And Policies” webpage under the “Cryptocurrency Mining Law” header.

Public comments are being accepted by DEC through September 25 by emailing climatechange@dec.ny.gov with the subject line “Crypto Draft GEIS.”

We have also set up a digital letter campaign that you can use to submit your comments – click here to send a letter using our ActionNetwork tool!

Also don’t forget to submit a comment to the Public Service Commission before this coming Monday July 28 opposing the sale of the Fortistar gas-fired power plant to Digihost – this blog post has guidance for how to submit a comment.

Back in November, EarthJustice won an appeal on the behalf of North Tonawanda residents against the Public Service Commission’s decision to approve the sale of the Fortistar gas power plant without taking the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act into account! This means, though, that the PSC needs to hear from us that we oppose this sale.

The PSC is accepting comments on this until July 28.
>>>>>> click HERE to submit a comment. <<<<<<

We urge pointing out the enormous energy demand, the lack of job creation, the noise pollution, and the predicted increases in air emissions.

Below is a template example comment which you can copy/paste. We strongly urge editing this template to add your personal thoughts.

I write to you as a resident of (place of residence) to request that the N.Y. Public Service Commission reject the Application for the Transfer of Ownership Interests from Fortistar North Tonawanda LLC (FNT) and Digihost International Inc. (Digihost) in a 55 Megawatt Natural Gas-fired Cogeneration Facility Located in North Tonawanda, NY because of the negative impacts on the community and its noncompliance with New York State law.

The power plant, serving a behind-the-meter bitcoin mining operation, has led to enormous increases in:

• Local air pollution
• Greenhouse gas pollution, 
• Noise pollution, and 
• Water pollution,

among other negative impacts. These operations adversely impact our community, and damage vital environmental resources and our health. 

I am also worried that my electricity and water rates will go up because of this facility’s increased operations. In places where other cryptocurrency mines have gone in, electricity prices have skyrocketed for households and small businesses. The Digihost facility uses municipal water and discharges into our public wastewater system, which now needs major upgrades. 

Additionally, I am worried that this facility, and others like it, will prevent the state from meeting its critical climate mandates established under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).

The PSC should deny the Application for the Transfer of Ownership Interests to protect the state and the community from the negative impacts from this facility’s operations.

Respectfully submitted,

Name

Please also send this blog post to folks in North Tonawanda specifically who you think would be interested in submitting a comment!

You can also click here to visit the “Matter Master” page and click the “Post Comment” button on the upper right. Submitted public comments are also available for review under the “Public Comments” tab.

On a related note, the Draft Generic Environmental Impact Study of cryptocurrency mining has been released! We urge taking a moment to read it by clicking here or visiting the DEC’s webpage (scroll down to the “Cryptocurrency Mining Law” header.) Comments are being accepted until September 25 by emailing climatechange@dec.ny.gov. We will be launching a letter campaign later this month, and in the meantime we urge attending one of the online hearings this month listed on the DEC’s webpage.

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We pause today to remember the victims of the white nationalist terrorist attack here in Buffalo on 5/14.

Roberta Drury, 32
Margus Morrison, 52
Andre Mackniel, 53
Aaron Salter, 55
Geraldine Talley, 62
Celestine Chaney, 65
Heyward Patterson, 67
Katherine Massey, 72
Pearl Young, 77
Ruth Whitfield, 86

We pledge that they will never be forgotten, that the explict white nationalist and white supremacist ideology that the shooter ascribed to will always be recognized, and that we will continue to fight back against all forms of white nationalism, including systemic bias and environmental racism.

Pray for the dead. Fight for the living.

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Click here to donate to our May Day Fundraiser!

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