Gibson County residents raise concerns over proposed bitcoin mining facility

MILAN, Tenn. (WBBJ) - A proposed bitcoin mining facility could be built along Hughes Loop Road in the Milan area. The proposal calls for about six acres to be rezoned from agricultural to industrial.

The final decision is in the hands of the Gibson County Commission.

Resident raises noise concerns

Brent Cox lives less than a mile from the proposed site. He said his concerns include noise, water use and the amount of electricity the facility would require.

“The main thing that we’re concerned about first is protecting the children and the school because as you see one quarter mile away from the school is where that’s gonna be. It’s 70 decibels, so teaching is gonna be one problem. Students’ learning is gonna be a major problem,” Cox said.

“Seventy decibels will come from that up to five miles away, and it’s a low frequency. So the school, one quarter mile away, will be hearing 70 decibels as if the locomotive was parked outside of the school,” Cox said.

Water use among concerns

Cox said the facility would operate around the clock. He is also worried about how water use could affect his property, including his pond and well, especially during the summer.

“And once they leave the agricultural land it can’t be rezoned back. It’s gonna become an industrial issue, and we don’t live in Milan, and we don’t want industry out here. We want to live in peace. When they need the most water in the summer, our ponds and our wells will go dry,” Cox said.