Residents urge caution as Bitcoin mining site proposed within 700 feet of home

Jackson County Board of Supervisors Chair Don Swinker heard extended public comment Tuesday from neighbors near a proposed Bitcoin mining site that they said would be sited within roughly 600–700 feet of homes.

The speakers — including Randy Rowan and his wife, Rhonda Rowan — told the board the nearest proposed facility site is “5 to 600 feet” from their house and expressed alarm about noise, fire response and disposal of short-lived electronic equipment. "We just got a letter a couple weeks ago, stating that a developer wants to put a Bitcoin mining facility basically 600 and some feet away from our house," resident Randy Rowan said. He and other speakers asked the county to require a substantially larger separation between mining buildings and residences.

The neighbors described on-site fans and ventilation that, in their experience visiting existing facilities, produced sounds they compared to “a freight train” at close range and remained audibly disruptive at several hundred feet. Dale Stilwell, who accompanied Rowan to several existing facilities, described older sites that emitted high-frequency squealing from bearings and frequent maintenance problems. "If you're 70 feet from it, definitely sounds like a freight train... at 500, 600 feet it was bearable, but it was still loud," Stilwell said.

Rhonda Rowan raised electronic-waste and fire-safety concerns, saying the life expectancy of the computers used in these operations is short: "The life expectancy of these computers that are in these buildings are 1.3 years. They need to be replaced. This is electronic waste." She said local fire departments had not discussed preparedness with the developer and noted the area lacks hydrants and local water supplies for firefighting.

County staff reiterated the permit and zoning process. "Right now, it's in the zoning commission's hands," Laurie, county zoning staff, told the board, describing the ordinance-driven process that first sends non‑permitted uses to the zoning commission to determine the proper zoning district. She said the zoning commission had tabled the matter at its last meeting and planned to take it up at its March 10 meeting.

Chair Swinker told residents the board had placed a moratorium on new mining facilities while county staff research the issue. "We've put a moratorium on it... so we stopped it," Swinker said, and he asked staff to gather more information before any final action by the board. Supervisor Mike Steinas also said the county would seek additional information from other counties and stakeholders.

Why it matters: speakers warned that allowing one facility near a substation could set a precedent for additional facilities at other substations and that impacts could include continuous noise for nearby households, potential fire hazards in areas without hydrants, and disposal challenges for electronic components. Residents urged the board to require separation distances larger than proposals they said were under consideration — some speakers suggested 1,500 to 2,000 feet.

What happens next: staff told the board the zoning commission will continue review on March 10; the board retains authority over zoning district changes and can act after the commission forwards recommendations. The moratorium remains in place while the county researches noise levels, emergency response capacity, electric-supply arrangements and disposal of electronic waste.

The board did not vote on the proposal at the meeting; no formal permit or variance was approved by the supervisors during Tuesday's session.

Ending: County staff said they would contact other counties that have considered similar proposals and compile findings for the zoning commission and for the board before any zoning decision or permit is granted.