According to local media sources, some counties in the American state of Arkansas are scrambling to adopt emergency legislation allowing them to regulate noise and other crypto-mining-related activities before a new state law takes effect on August 1.
The new state law creates standards for miners and safeguards them from unfair regulations and fees by bringing cryptocurrency mining facilities under the same laws as data centers. However, because the new legislation was introduced, debated in committees, and passed by lawmakers in a week from March 30 to April 7, Arkansas citizens hardly had time to discuss it. More regulations are being adopted by local authorities to handle complaints of excessive noise 24 hours a day,
The Association of Arkansas Counties created a model ordinance after the bill was enacted that counties can adopt until the law is implemented. More than a dozen counties are said to have passed noise restrictions aimed at data centers since June.
The new law forbids local governments from discriminating against crypto mining facilities or from restricting decibel levels “other than the limits set for sound pollution generally,” while it does not totally forbid county rules. Counties are also barred from rezoning areas “with the intent or effect of discriminating against” digital mining enterprises.
