Residents of rural Hood County, Texas, have been locked in a four-year dispute with a massive Bitcoin mining operation run by MARA Holdings (formerly Marathon Digital), citing a constant, disruptive noise that has severely impacted their quality of life and health. The facility, which began operations in 2022 near Granbury, generates a low-frequency hum from its cooling systems that neighbors liken to the sound of "standing on a runway" or "the edge of Niagara Falls." Residents report ongoing issues including sleepless nights, headaches, and stress, with one describing the noise as a "physical bombardment" and "torturous."
MARA has stated it operates within legal boundaries and has invested in mitigation efforts, including constructing a large acoustic barrier wall, installing quieter cooling fans, and transitioning parts of the site to liquid immersion cooling. The company emphasizes its local economic contributions, citing over $320 million in investment, job creation, and tax revenue for Hood County.
However, residents' attempts to enforce noise regulations have been stymied by Texas law. Counties lack the power to pass enforceable noise ordinances, a authority reserved only for cities. In 2024, Hood County officials attempted to use state "unreasonable noise" statutes to issue citations based on decibel thresholds, but these efforts failed in court. A late-2024 independent sound study commissioned by the county confirmed elevated noise levels near the facility but noted the legal thresholds for criminal noise violations are far more permissive than typical municipal standards.
A private nuisance lawsuit filed by residents remains active in state court, with disputes over access to operational data and noise measurements. In a final attempt to gain regulatory control, residents pushed to incorporate their community as a city in 2025, which would have allowed them to enact local noise laws. Despite legal pushback from MARA, a vote was held, but residents ultimately rejected the incorporation proposal, leaving them with limited options.
The ongoing conflict underscores the broader social costs of Texas's crypto boom, as the state hosts close to 30% of the U.S. Bitcoin mining hashrate. The case highlights the tension between industrial-scale cryptocurrency operations and rural communities, with residents now pinning their hopes on a protracted legal battle as their primary recourse.
