Statewide - Cryptocurrency Mining Operations That Use Proof-of-Work Authentication Method

Notice of Availability of Draft Scope and Public Scoping Session

Albany County - The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, as lead agency, has made the Draft Scope for the proposed for the generic environmental impact statement (GEIS) for Cryptocurrency Mining Operations That Use Proof-of-Work Authentication Method available. The Draft Scope is available from the contact listed below and on line at: https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/climate-change/statutes-regulations-policies. Written comments on the draft scope will be accepted until February 9, 2024. Please submit comments to [email protected]with the subject line "Crypto GEIS Draft Scope."

Chapter 628 of the Laws of 2022 (also referred to as "the cryptocurrency mining law" or "the cryptocurrency moratorium") directs the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC), in consultation with the New York State Department of Public Service (NYS DPS), to prepare, pursuant to Article 8 of the Environmental Conservation Law (ECL), a Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) on cryptocurrency mining operations that use proof-of-work authentication methods to validate blockchain transactions. The GEIS will consider several potentially significant impacts of these operations pursuant to section 3 of the law. The project is located throughout New York State.