Environmentalists Sue To Block A Crypto Mining Project They Say Threatens The Environment

A group of environmental activists have filed a lawsuit to block a cryptocurrency mining project they say threatens the environment.

The lawsuit was filed Monday in San Francisco Superior Court by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters on behalf of two environmental groups. They said a proposed cryptocurrency mining facility at an unused military base would pose a threat to public health and safety.

The incident comes as California's Department of Toxic Substances Control is investigating whether the state's Central Valley may be contaminated by about 1 million gallons of toxic water from a nearby gold mine, owned by Fresnillo Metals of Mexico City, which has been exporting gold since the 1970s but has recently expanded its operations there.

The lawsuit says that the proposed Gold Rush mine would be located near communities in the Salinas Valley that are home to a variety of plant and animal species that inhabit or migrate to the area, including endangered species. extinct like the osprey and the bald eagle. It also said groundwater pollution from previous mining operations could be made worse by drought conditions in California this year.

The lawsuit seeks a construction moratorium until the various environmental impacts have been investigated and resolved.