A new study led by Dr. Francesca Dominici at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health indicates that Bitcoin mining operations generate harmful air pollutants that can travel across state borders, impacting communities hundreds of miles away. From August 2022 to July 2023, approximately 1.9 million Americans were exposed to significant levels of fine particulate matter due to emissions from Bitcoin mines. The research highlights a regulatory gap, as these pollutants originate from a different state than where they affect air quality—illustrating insufficient accountability for affected communities. For example, electricity used by a mine in North Carolina resulted in increased pollution from a coal plant in Kentucky, which then degraded air quality in Illinois. The authors suggest that federal policies such as a 'Good Neighbor' rule could help mitigate such cross-state pollution issues. Furthermore, the study warns that the environmental impact of Bitcoin mining, along with the expansion of AI infrastructures, could worsen if coal-fired plants are allowed to remain operational longer than planned.

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