DRESDEN, N.Y. (WENY) -- Another lawsuit was filed against Greenidge Generation today on behalf of local non-profit groups in an effort to shut down the facility's crypto-mining operation.  Greenidge officials said in a statement they are not concerned and view the lawsuit as a waste of time. 

“How many times are we going to do this same exact thing? You could have set your watch to the interest groups filing another frivolous legal challenge that in the end is just a PR stunt. They’ve lost every single lawsuit they’ve filed over eight years — with five court rulings against them, and zero for them. The result here will follow the same pattern — file lawsuit, get some media attention and then later lose in court because you have no grounds," said Dale Irwin, President of Greenidge Generation. 

The lawsuit was filed by Earthjustice on behalf of the Seneca Lake Guardian, the Committee to Preserve the Finger Lakes and the Sierra Club. The lawsuit alleges that that Greenidge's ongoing discharges into Keuka Lake Outlet and Seneca Lake are illegal under the Clean Water Act because its permit is expired. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has allowed Greenidge Generation to continue operating under the expired permits while renewal is under review. 

"Greenidge failed to submit required information about its discharges into Keuka Lake Outlet and Seneca Lake, biological data about the lake, and information about its cooling water system and how it is affecting aquatic life" said Jill Heaps, senior attorney for Earthjustice.

Greenidge Generation is a power plant that uses some of the energy produced to run thousands of crypto-mining computers. The computers are used to mine crypto-currency such as Bitcoin. Irwin accused the environmental groups of using legal proceedings to win public relations victories and waste the time and money of the courts and taxpayers. 

"Not only is this lawsuit untimely, it is frivolous and lacks any merit. The DEC correctly concluded that Greenidge’s renewal application was timely and sufficient. The mere fact that opponents disagree is beside the point. Indeed, opponents attack Greenidge and assert that the company has done something wrong when in reality they are asking a federal judge to second guess the DEC in matters within its sound discretion,” said Yvonne Hennessey of Barclay Damon, counsel for Greenidge.

Yvonne Taylor, vice president for the Seneca Lake Guardian, said that while she is happy over recent DEC action regarding Greenidge, more is required. 

We're grateful that the DEC applied the Climate Act in considering Greenidge's air permit, but it must apply the same standard now as it considers the water permit. Our natural resources must be protected from for-profit companies whose only interest is to squeeze every last dime out of our communities no matter who or what they harm," said Taylor. 

Irwin insisted that Greenidge operates under valid permits, and that the most recent lawsuit will not change that or succeed. He also questioned the timing of the lawsuit. 

"This filing comes a week after Greenidge completed a $6 million advanced fish screen system, meeting all state and federal requirements, to protect aquatic life in Seneca Lake. Efforts like this from opponents is why nobody in the Finger Lakes listened to these gadflies anymore; they have zero credibility," Irwin said, adding, "the latest phony complaint from these perennial litigation losers can’t change that."

To view the lawsuit filed by Earthjustice, the document is below: