Save Carbon County, a grassroots environmental organization, sued a cryptocurrency power plant and Governor Josh Shapiro on March 26.
Panther Creek Electric Generating Facility wants to burn tires to generate electricity for its cryptocurrency mining operations. Their permit to use tire-derived fuel (TDF) to supplement 15 percent of its monthly electricity use by weight is in review by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
The lawsuit names Shapiro, the DEP, Interim DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley, the PA Public Utility Commission, the Commonwealth as defendants, alongside the power plant and its parent company, Stronghold Digital Mining.
Save Carbon and its lawyers at Freiwald Law argue Stronghold already pollutes Carbon County. They cite Stronghold’s current emissions at Panther Creek, which are four times the amount of emissions at Panther Creek pre-2020, before Stronghold acquired the property. Their data comes from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
They also claim the Commonwealth, DEP, PUC incentivised Stronghold to mine cryptocurrency by giving them tax breaks for using alternative fuels. Stronghold received over $29 million in renewable energy credits from the state over the last two years.
Save Carbon and Freiwald Law will hold a Community Meeting on the lawsuit at the Nesquehoning Recreation Center at 335 W. Railroad Ave. on Tues. March 26 at 7PM.