Recent cryptocurrency mines in Arkansas has some legislative members second-guessing.
According to a report by Arkansas Business, many lawmakers who protected bitcoin mining complexes known for their noise, are revisiting the issue. Arkansas Senator Missy Irvin of Mountain View voted for the law, which outlawed discrimination against the centers filled with hundreds of computers creating cryptocurrency, before a crypto mine was opened in her district.
Irvin told Arkansas Business in an email, “Had I known how horrible and offensive the noise would be for the people living near the facility, I would have never voted for this legislation. There are now many legislators who feel the same.”
Act 851, the Arkansas Data Centers Act, was approved overwhelmingly by the Arkansas House and Senate in April 2023.
Last month, Irvin authorized a legislative inquiry into crypto mines. She states as this is a new industry to the state, the around the clock high levels of noise are a public health concern. Irvin states digital mines in her district have “severely impacted” the health of a child with autism who lives nearby.
Irvin and Representative Lee Johnson of Greenwood have directed a legislative subcommittee to study the issue and work on draft legislation for 2025.
For more information on this story, visit arkansasbusiness.com.
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