Greenidge Generation has filed another emergency request to delay a critical administrative court hearing within the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the company’s latest move in a prolonged legal fight over its air permit renewal.
The appeal, submitted to the Appellate Division of New York State Court, follows a ruling by the Yates County Supreme Court last week that denied Greenidge’s initial request to halt the proceedings. Despite repeated defeats in court, the cryptomining facility continues efforts to delay legal action, prompting outrage from environmental groups.
Greenidge has faced escalating criticism over its large-scale cryptocurrency mining operation near Seneca Lake, with environmental advocates alleging severe impacts on air, water, and noise pollution. The facility emits substantial greenhouse gases, a point of contention as the state enforces its Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).
“This most recent emergency request to the Appellate Division is yet another effort by Greenidge to boost its own profits while it harms the Finger Lakes residents we represent, the local environment, and the climate,” said Mandy DeRoche, deputy managing attorney in Earthjustice’s Clean Energy Program. “Justice delayed is justice denied, and we will keep fighting until the Greenidge cryptomine is shut down for good.”
Last November, the Yates County Supreme Court ruled that DEC could deny air permits to Greenidge for noncompliance with the CLCPA. However, the court allowed the company to return to the DEC’s administrative court to present further evidence, marking the fourth time Greenidge has tried to justify its operations. Greenidge now seeks to delay that hearing while appealing the court’s earlier decision.
Earthjustice, representing environmental groups including Seneca Lake Guardian, Fossil Free Tompkins, and the Sierra Club, is working to block Greenidge’s continued operation. The groups argue that prolonged delays leave Finger Lakes communities vulnerable to the cryptomine’s harmful environmental impacts.
Greenidge has operated without a valid air permit since its latest renewal denial by the DEC in May 2024. Under state administrative law, the company is permitted to continue operations while legal proceedings remain unresolved.
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