It's Texas. As long as an industry is below 85dbA at the property line, they're compliant with state law.[1] Some municipalities, notably Forth Worth, have lower limits. But the state limits the power of municipalities to regulate oil and gas mining. Fracking sites, unlike traditional oil wells, are quite noisy.
It'd help build a case if they took measurements of noise around the property. I'm not saying it isn't true or anything like it but 'loud noise' can mean a multitude of things. I'd say my downstairs neighbors have jet engines in their house but sometimes it's just a vacuum cleaner and I'm a bit miffed that day. If they'd said that a sound level meter reported +80db at 500m or 1km away, that'd give readers and potential visitors a real measure of the problem and it's consequences.
I'd have a nephew or younger sibling with some take on his hands to make measurements around it and make a graph with the sound levels at various radii and times of day, that'd build you a strong case for the factory being hazardous to health - and hopefully give you ammo for the upcoming legal trouble there'll be over there.
I can't believe they don't have a recording/video of the noise and noise level readings. I don't doubt there is noise but I'd like to better understand what they are hearing. Also, what about crypto mining is noisy? Is it massive fans or pumps for water? What am I missing? Actual mining is loud, that makes sense, but this is a datacenter, why is it so loud?
It's not really very relevant. First, it doesn't say why the jury acquitted. It mentions two different defenses that were offered. (1) The noise measurements were not accurate, and (2) the case was brought against the wrong defendant (the manager of the facility rather than the mining company).
If they acquitted because of #2 then it is completely irrelevant.
If they acquitted because of #1 then it just means that the jury didn't believe that the measurements done by the Constable were accurate. It doesn't mean that there is no noise problem or that the noise is under the legal limits.
Well, why NOT attack random people when you're already part of the greatest pyramid scheme in history? Also, apparently you CAN mess with Texas, or rather, with Texans quite easily.
Noise regulations are not just too lenient in most places, but they are also not enforced. It is also hard to enforce even if a city wants to because a lot of noises are intermittent. But mining facilities like this should be shut down because they have a continuous buzzing. Owners should be given retroactive fines.
2. I had a neighbor who left her dog in the yard for 10 hours a day to bark constantly, every weekday, for six months. She had to pay a ~$250 fine by the end. That was the maximum allowed fine every few months.
The idea that Texans don't like government regulations isn't really backed by evidence. For example, the Cato Institute ranks Texas #17 in terms of overall freedom versus nearby states like Arizona which ranks #4 and Nevada which ranks #5.
#17 is still higher in that ranking than the large majority of US states.
Still, that's just the opinion of that organization. What's important is the opinions of the Texas voters, and they vote for politicians who generally oppose government regulation. I think it's extremely unlikely that they'll vote for anyone who promises to pass legislation to curb noise pollution.
[1] https://www.cailaw.org/media/files/IEL/ConferenceMaterial/20...