Measure to incorporate Hood County community next to Bitcoin mine appears to fail
Residents in a rural North Texas community have voted not to become the state's newest small city as supporters attempted to regulate a nearby Bitcoin mine.
Unofficial results show voters in Mitchell Bend, a small community south of Granbury, voted overwhelmingly not to become a Type B municipality.
Supporters had been campaigning for months in an effort to regulate the Bitcoin operation, owned by MARA Holdings, within its boundaries. They say the mine makes a constant humming noise that has caused health issues including lack of sleep, nausea and vertigo.
Cheryl Shadden, who runs the Facebook page Bitcoin Noise Hood County, lives directly across the street from the Bitcoin mine. She said she’s suffered from hearing loss and the noise has also impacted her livestock.
“We're not against big industry,” Shadden told KERA ahead of the election. “What we're against is harming the community.”
Shadden and other residents have said that incorporating as a city was one of the only ways they could effectively take action against the noise pollution.
“What we want to do is get back and preserve the peace we had, it's that simple,” said Tom Weeks, who lives in a neighborhood behind the mine.
MARA last week filed a lawsuit against the county and some officials calling the election “illegal” and claiming the city’s incorporation would harm their operations. A federal judge this week denied their request to block the ballot measure.
MARA said it will continue to “vigorously defend” its business in the area.
“We believe municipal incorporation should serve the genuine needs of communities, not be used to target or weaponize the process against law-abiding businesses,” said a spokesperson for MARA in a previous statement.
Shadden told KERA in a previous interview there are three ongoing lawsuits against the Bitcoin mine and a nearby power plant owned by the energy company Constellation.
Pablo Arauz Peña is KERA’s growth and infrastructure reporter. Got a tip? Email Pablo at
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