NT resident concerned about cryptocurrency mining partnership

NORTH TONAWANDA, NY (WBEN) – A North Tonawanda resident who opposes a cryptocurrency mining facility on Erie Street says she’s more concerned now that the company has reached a partnership agreement with a nuclear power company.

Darlene Bolsover told WBEN residents have already had to deal with noise from Digihost over the past couple of years, but now, Digihost has a deal with NANO Nuclear Energy.

“I don’t know enough about what form they’re taking, what they’re proposing to actually build there, but when I think about what history has shown us with these types of nuclear reactors, it doesn’t seem like that.” “I want it in my backyard,” Bolsover said in an interview with WBEN.

One of Bolsover’s biggest concerns is containment.

“What is actual containment? What is it? Where do they put it? How are they going to put it? Anytime you put nuclear weapons in any area, you have to have forms of containment,” Bolsover asked.

As a nurse, when Bolsover enters the X-ray department, you will be behind strict containment so that others do not get sick.

Bolsover says when Digihost originally brought cryptocurrencies in, they made promises to residents and the city.

“They failed to deliver on those promises, and now they want to deliver something that could expand my vision, which is an explosion. If this reactor, or any reactor, could explode, if it exploded, how much damage would that do and how much? Would it have a lot of damage?” The repercussions? Bolsopher thought.

She says the North Tonawanda Common Council could shut down the conversation about the partnership very quickly.

“This is not something that is meant for us,” Bolsover explained. “This is not something this city has any issues with potentially being within our city limits. Our council can shut this down immediately so there are no potential discussions.”

Last July, North Tonawanda approved a two-year moratorium on cryptocurrency mining facilities. Digihost’s factory will not be affected by the ban, but it will not be able to expand its operations.