Carbon County residents are joining environmental groups in pushing back against the Panther Creek power plant owner’s request to burn tires to fuel its crypto-mining operations in Nesquehoning.

The plant, now home to thousands of bitcoin mining machines, recently submitted a permit proposal to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection requesting permission to mix in shredded tires as fuel with the waste coal it uses to produce electricity.

“They’ve been burning dirty waste coal for a useless cryptocurrency product with no benefit to Carbon County residents,” Linda Christman of Save Carbon County said during a Zoom conference on Monday. “The residents, of which 36% within one mile of the plant are under the federal poverty level, are going to be subject to smoke pollution so this company can get away with polluting our air for nothing. This is not something that should be dumped on a county like Carbon.”

Stronghold Digital Mining purchased the plant in 2021. Bitcoin “mining” is the process of putting new bitcoins into circulation. Stronghold said at the time of purchase that by acquiring old cogeneration plants, it could clean up waste coal while producing bitcoins, making it more beneficial for the environment.

Mahoning Township resident Steve Chuckra said he moved to Pennsylvania after seven years in Denver, Colorado because he became weary of consistent development, overcrowding, dirty air and heavy traffic. He and his wife live within five miles of the Panther Creek plant and some of those same concerns are now popping up again.

“I was surprised to see the modification to use tire-derived fuel at Panther Creek,” Chuckra said. “International Paper in Ticonderoga, New York tried and exceeded Environmental Protection Agency limits within a very short time of their operational test and they stopped the test for that reason. I grew up in Pennsylvania and I feel very strongly that we have a heritage of environmental neglect and allowing things like this to happen. I hope we don’t repeat those same mistakes.”

Since 2021, Panther Creek has committed at least seven violations issued by DEP related to unpermitted air pollution, according to Russell Zerbo, an advocate with the Pennsylvania-based Clean Air Council. The track record, Zerbo added, leads to serious concerns about air pollution in the Pocono region.

“I’m concerned that the EPA has concluded that burning tires creates significant emissions of polyaromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to contain at least seven carcinogens,” Zerbo said. “Panther Creek does not currently monitor carcinogenic emissions and has no plans to do so in the future.”

Environmental groups, including those involved in Monday’s conference, have filed comments to DEP regarding the Panther Creek application. Attorney Charlie McPhedran with the group Earthjustice said it remains unknown where DEP stands on the issue.

“We call on the government and the governor to take a hard line on this application and new fuel,” McPhedran said. “Panther Creek already poses a threat to Pennsylvania’s air quality. Considering tire-derived fuel introduces another issue, another source of carbon dioxide and pollution.”