Seneca Lake Guardian Response to Governor Hochul’s Inaugural Address
Hochul Omits Mention of Environment; Finger Lakes Region Negatively Impacted by Bitcoin Mining, Retired Power Plants Elsewhere in New York State Could Be Next
ALBANY, NY — Following Governor Hochul’s inaugural address to the State today, Seneca Lake Guardian issued the following statement:
“After tuning into Governor Hochul’s address, we appreciate her bold commitments to combatting the Delta variant, providing much needed economic relief to New Yorkers, and bringing back transparency to Albany. However, we were disappointed by the lack of immediate environmental priorities her incoming administration will pursue. As long time residents of the Finger Lakes, we are passionate about protecting our home and all that reside here. This region is full of precious wildlife, agriculture, and ecosystems which contribute to a flourishing agritourism industry that remains a significant economic driver for the state.
Yet, for the Finger Lakes to continue on this path, we mustn’t allow corporations like Greenidge Generation to operate a dangerous proof of work cryptocurrency mining business that is polluting our lakes and air, killing wildlife, and affecting farm cultivation across the region. We must do everything we can to protect our home and the beings who inhabit it.
We look forward to working with Governor Hochul and her administration to take swift action in addressing these pressing issues facing our state. The threat of expansion proof of work cryptocurrency mining lies in every corner of New York and is an issue that will affect all New Yorkers. We strongly believe that this issue cannot be fought town by town, but collectively as concerned New Yorkers.
As more dormant power plants are transformed into these mining facilities, it’s only a matter of time before they wreak irrevocable harm on our communities and ecosystems. And if left unchecked, this industry will continue to undermine New York’s ambitious CLCPA goals to reduce greenhouse gases. It’s on all of us to ensure the places we call home may continue to prosper for generations to come,” said Joseph Campbell, President and co-founder of Seneca Lake Guardian.
Background on Greenidge Generation and the current situation
Greenidge Generation reopened their facility in 2017 in Dresden, NY and by March of 2020, the plant was using over 14 megawatts of power, enough to power 9,000 homes, to mine bitcoin every day. The plant’s greenhouse gas emissions increased almost tenfold from 2019 to 2020, emitting over 220,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide. Now, Greenidge is able to top emissions to 641,878 metric tons annually once permitted, which could increase to nearly 1 million metric tons once operating at full capacity.
Seneca Lake is fragile and at a tipping point. According to the Finger Lakes Institute, temperatures at the north end of Seneca Lake are rising every year. Because of its magnitude and depth, it takes 20 years for Seneca Lake to turn over. The Greenidge facility has been permitted to dump over 134 million gallons of hot water per day into the lake, as the energy it takes to run the plant has to be redirected. If this continues, it is estimated that it would take hundreds of years for the lake and its wildlife to recover. Not only is the hot water damaging the lake, but noise pollution remains a serious concern for both the lake and surrounding areas.
Drinking water for over 100,000 people is also being compromised, causing expenses for municipalities to provide potable water to skyrocket. The $3 Billion annual revenue and 58,000 jobs in the Agricultural and Tourism industry, relying on the lake temperature, is threatened. People who have spent generations building their livelihoods that rely on the lake could have their legacies ripped out from under them. In a short amount of time, the Greenidge facility has prompted an ecological disaster that, if left untouched, will wreak irrevocable damage on the Finger Lakes region and all who inhabit it.