The Vilonia Planning Commission voted unanimously against plans to build a cryptocurrency mine at an unusually well-attended meeting on Thursday night.
Cryptomines are large collections of computers created to collect cryptocurrency, a completely digital form of money that does not depend on any central authority. They have received criticism because the fans needed to keep computers cool emit a loud noise which can be harmful to those close to you.
Last week, the Vilonia City Council voted to limit sound throughout the city to 60 decibels. At the same meeting, several residents expressed negative sentiments against the proposed mines.
No representatives of the company seeking to build the crypto mine attended the meeting. The only person associated with the mine was Barry Davidson, a civil engineer who had been hired by another company. When asked before the meeting, Davidson had a hard time remembering the name of the mining company.
โYou haven't met them and you're their civil engineer,โ commission member Kim Williams said during the meeting. Another member said that the fact that no one from the mining company was there showed a โlack of seriousnessโ.
Davidson said no "acoustic analysis" has been carried out at the mine. Commissioner Trey White wanted to see an analysis before moving forward with the plans.
โMy recommendation is that we reject the preliminary plan submission,โ White said, to loud applause.
โI think we should also consider permanently denying it,โ Williams said, explaining that the company had failed to provide the planning commission with a good description of the proposed plan. He said that he wanted to "protect the health and safety of the city."
Williams said that conditional use permits are mandatory in Vilonia for industrial companies, and by revoking the mine permit, it will be difficult for them to build in Vilonia in the future.
"You can come back," he said, "but you won't be approved next time either."
The commission voted unanimously to revoke the conditional use permit along with voting to stop the project. The crowd in the room erupted in applause after the votes.
After the vote, Cameron Baker, a managing member of a pro-crypto group called Cryptic Farms, spoke out in favor of future crypto mining. He said many mines are not noisy because they use liquid coolant or are in extremely rural areas.
During public comments, many community members thanked the commission for listening to the concerns they had expressed over the past week.
