Neuerport landfill site in £620m Bitcoin saga set to close

A landfill site in Newport, South Wales, which is at the centre of a £620m Bitcoin saga, is set to close, prompting fears from locals that cryptomining activities in the area could move to residential areas. The site, which is one of the largest landfill sites in Europe, has been used to mine Bitcoin since 2013, when a local entrepreneur decided to set up one of the earliest large-scale mining operations in the world, burying thousands of computers underground to create cryptocurrency.

While the site’s owner, Andrew Beal, claimed that the operation was a success, generating millions of pounds in Bitcoin, the local council argued that it resulted in unwanted noise and odour nuisance for local residents. The local council has now given the go-ahead for the landfill site to close, with Beal promising to move his operation to a more isolated location.

Notably, the local council has rejected plans for subsequent Bitcoin mines, but concerns remain that industrial-scale mining operations will simply move to residential areas. Simon Brooks, a local resident and spokesperson for the Newport Against Pollution group, spoke to the BBC:

“We think it is absolutely crazy to move these activities out into residential areas. They should be located in isolated, commercial areas. There are huge risks in having this activity in residential streets and gardens, with the potential for fire and danger to life from the dissipation of hazardous gases.

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