Author: Peter Mantius
Critics, supporters of Greenidge bitcoin operation duel at DEC hearing on bid to renew air permits
A decision to grant renewed air permits to the Greenidge Generation power plant in Dresden would “fly in the face of the mission statement” of the state Department of Environmental Conservation and…
Seneca Lake suffers one of worst HAB outbreaks in recent years last week: Other lakes saw blooms too
An unprecedented number of toxic blooms spread across the Finger Lakes on the “dead calm” afternoon of Wednesday, Oct. 6, in what was easily the most intense outbreak of the season, if…
Wall Street dumps shares of Greenidge Generation stock ahead of air emissions hearings on ‘carbon neutral’ bitcoin mining
So far, Wall Street isn’t buying Greenidge Generation’s pitch to investors that it’s a “green” Bitcoin miner with a clear path to expand cryptocurrency operations at least ten-fold by 2025. Within its…
Toxic algae blooms in Skaneateles Lake raise urgency of Syracuse’s bid to use pesticide to protect drinking water
Stakes are rising in the simmering debate over whether to allow the city of Syracuse to apply a pesticide to northern sections of Skaneateles Lake in a bid to safeguard its source…
Greenidge, Support.com merger expected to close today; shares to begin trading on Wednesday
Greenidge Generation Holdings Inc. and Support.com Inc. said its proposed merger is set to close at 4 p.m. (Tuesday, Sept. 14) Shares of Greenidge’s Class A common stock will begin trading on…
DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos says Greenidge Generation’s bitcoin effort does not comply with New York State climate law
The rapid expansion of Greenidge Generation’s Bitcoin mining operation at its Dresden power plant violates state law that requires the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the state’s top environmental official said late…
NYSEG will auction off rare Cayuga shoreline property: Petition seeks preservation for public use
Despite an intense local outcry, NYSEG plans to auction off one of the last major undeveloped sections of shoreline in the Finger Lakes — a 470-acre parcel on the east side of…
Greenidge’s merger partner Support.com rockets upward after carbon neutral bitcoin mining promise
UPDATE (August 27, 2021): Support.com shares hit a high of $59.69 this afternoon, triple its close at $19.70 yesterday (Aug. 26). The market value of the company briefly soared to $1.43 billion,…
Can Gov. Hochul make a clean break from Cuomo policies that hurt the Finger Lakes’ environment?
There’s new hope for responsible environmental regulation in the Finger Lakes when Kathy Hochul replaces Andrew Cuomo as governor of New York shortly after midnight tonight. Hochul will have a chance to begin enforcing…
‘Frontenac Point Anomaly’: Cayuga Lake’s salt mining hazard located
Although the potentially dangerous Frontenac Point Anomaly has no precise location, size or shape within Cargill Inc.’s vast salt mine under Cayuga Lake, the state purports to prohibit mining within 1000 feet…
Cayuga Lake leads in HABs; DEC’s latest plan to help gets panned for going easy on big farms
Cayuga Lake is the No. 1 hot spot in New York for harmful algal blooms (HABs), according to the latest Department of Environmental Conservation map that tracks outbreaks statewide. As of Friday, Cayuga had…
Risks of catastrophic mine flood under Cayuga Lake mount, Cuomo’s DEC guards Cargill’s secrets
Last week the state Department of Environmental Conservation refused to provide a copy of a letter it received from Cargill in which the company committed to avoid mining around an area of…
Greenidge plans new bitcoin operation in recently shuttered South Carolina printing plant that laid off 400 workers
Greenidge Generation Holdings Inc. has announced plans to launch its second bitcoin mining operation later this year or in early 2022 at a recently shuttered printing plant in Spartanburg, S.C. GGH’s parent…
Elected leaders, environmental activists in Finger Lakes break with one of region’s largest groups
A 30-year old non-profit environmental group that bills itself as the protector of Seneca Lake’s water quality is catching flak for accepting a $15,000 contribution from the state’s largest landfill, which is…
Dems in NYS Assembly allowed IBEW to veto cryptocurrency moratorium bill to preserve union jobs at Greenidge
The union that represents about 40 contract electrical workers at Greenidge Generation’s power plant in Dresden last week derailed a bill that would have imposed a statewide moratorium on energy-intensive cryptocurrency mining,…
Invasive pests to worry about before HABs strike in late-summer
The peak season for harmful algal blooms, or HABs, is at least two months away, but the Finger Lakes have plenty of other pests and invasive species to worry about before toxic…
