The rules apply to all commercial cryptocurrency-mining, data-mining, and other server-farm operations and related structures installed, constructed, or modified after the article’s effective date.

Operations must comply with all applicable local, state, and federal codes, regulations, and standards.

Properties using prefabricated, pre-engineered, or modular structures must contain at least 500 contiguous acres, and associated buildings must be at least 0.5 miles from the nearest residential property line.

Prefabricated, pre-engineered, or modular structures must have concrete foundations.

Exterior facades must use muted earth-tone colors and must not be defective, decayed, or corroded.

Intermodal shipping containers used for the operation must comply with Georgia’s applicable industrialized-building rules and statutes.

Structures must be arranged, designed, and constructed to be harmonious and compatible with the site and surrounding properties.

Noise at an occupied residential building or defined sensitive receiver may not exceed 50 dBA during the day or 45 dBA at night.

Operators may not create prohibited pure tones or vibration tones exceeding specified one-third-octave-band limits, with thresholds varying by frequency.

Noise compliance measurements must use a calibrated Type 1 sound-level meter, specified weighting and recording settings, and a 15-minute averaging interval, with measurements taken at least 100 feet from an adjacent property line.

Before a certificate of completion or occupancy is issued, the applicant must submit a noise-test report prepared by a noise-control engineering professional and must pay the testing and reporting costs.

The county may require the applicant to install a noise-reduction barrier or device when testing shows noncompliance, with the applicant responsible for the expense.

Cryptocurrency-mining equipment must be housed in a metered, electrically grounded, pre-engineered metal structure with a fire rating capable of resisting an internal electrical fire for at least 30 minutes.

The equipment containment space must include baffles that automatically close during a fire, independently of a possible electrical-system failure.

Commercial cryptocurrency-mining data-center server farms must obtain and maintain successful SOC 2 certification, provide validation to the county within 13 months after beginning operation, and provide validation annually thereafter.

Air, dust, smoke, glare, exhaust, heat, and humidity generated by the operation must not be perceptible at or beyond the property line.

Shipping containers or similar structures used to house a commercial cryptocurrency-mining server farm may not be vertically combined to exceed nine feet in height.

Each commercial cryptocurrency-mining or data-mining server farm must provide visible 24-hour emergency-contact signage at the access entrance, including company, owner or representative, and utility contact information.

All requirements must continue to be maintained after a certificate of occupancy is issued.

No commercial cryptocurrency or data-mining server-farm operation may be developed without site-plan review and verification by the County Building and Development Department.

Each violation is treated as a separate violation, and the code-enforcement officer may issue a warning or citation for each incident.

A violation may result in a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment for up to 60 days, or both.

Existing commercial cryptocurrency mining, data-mining, and other server-farm operations or structures are not covered unless they are installed, constructed, or modified after the article’s effective date.

Edge-computing operations by established local businesses or local infrastructure are excluded from the definition of a server farm and therefore are outside this article’s server-farm requirements.

Commercial cryptocurrency mining, data mining, and related server-farm operations or structures installed, constructed, or modified after the article's effective date are subject to the requirements.

Development requires prior site-plan review and verification by the County Building & Development Department that all ordinance requirements are satisfied.

All operations must comply with applicable local, state, and federal codes, regulations, and standards.

The proposed revision would require server-farm properties to contain at least 500 continuous acres, with associated buildings at least 0.5 miles from the nearest residential property line.

Structures must be compatible with the site and surrounding properties; prefabricated, pre-engineered, or modular structures must have concrete foundations, muted earth-tone exterior colors, and no defective, decayed, or corroded facades.

Use of intermodal shipping containers must comply with Georgia Department of Community Affairs industrialized-building requirements and the cited Georgia statutory provisions.

Operators may not exceed continuous sound levels of 50 dBA during the daytime or 45 dBA at night at an occupied residential building or defined sensitive receiver.

Pure tones from sound or vibration are restricted when they exceed specified one-third-octave-band thresholds: 5 dB at frequencies of 500 Hz and above, 8 dB from 160 through 400 Hz, or 15 dB at 125 Hz and below.

Noise compliance measurements must use a calibrated Type 1 sound-level meter, include a 15-minute averaging interval, and be taken near but at least 100 feet from an adjacent property line.

Before a certificate of completion or occupancy is issued, the applicant must submit a noise-testing report prepared by a noise-control engineering professional, at the applicant's expense.

The county may require a noise-reduction barrier or device when testing shows noncompliance, with the applicant responsible for the cost.

Mining equipment must be housed in a metered, electrically grounded, pre-engineered metal structure rated to resist an internal electrical fire for at least 30 minutes, with fire baffles that automatically close independently of possible electrical-system failure.

Commercial cryptocurrency-mining server farms must obtain and maintain SOC 2 certification for the duration of operation, provide validation within 13 months after beginning operation, and provide it annually thereafter.

Air, dust, smoke, glare, exhaust, heat, or humidity produced by the operation must not be perceptible at or beyond the property line.

ISO shipping containers or similar housing may not be vertically combined to exceed nine feet in height.

Each commercial cryptocurrency or data-mining server farm must post visible 24-hour emergency-contact signage at the access entrance, including specified owner, representative, company, and local power-company contact information.

All operational requirements must continue to be maintained after issuance of a certificate of occupancy.

Each violation is a separate violation, and the code-enforcement officer may issue a warning or citation on a case-by-case basis.

A violation may result in a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment for up to 60 days, or both.

Where the article conflicts with another applicable federal, state, or local regulation, the more restrictive regulation controls.

[ { "provision": "Existing operations are outside the article’s applicability": "The regulations apply only to commercial cryptocurrency mining, data mining, and server-farm operations or related structures installed, constructed, or modified after the article’s effective date. Existing operations that are not modified are therefore not subjected to these new requirements." }, { "provision": "Prefabricated, pre-engineered, or modular structures are allowed": "Data centers and server farms may use prefabricated, pre-engineered, or modular structures, subject to requirements for concrete foundations, muted earth-tone exterior colors, nondefective exterior facades, and applicable rules for intermodal shipping containers." }, { "provision": "Intermodal shipping containers may be used": "The article permits intermodal shipping containers as structures or housing for server-farm operations, provided they comply with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs’ Industrialized Building Rules and Bulletins and the specified Georgia statutes." }, { "provision": "A site-plan review and approval pathway is established": "The article provides a defined development process: a commercial cryptocurrency or data-mining server farm may be developed after site-plan review and verification by the County Building & Development Department that the article’s requirements are met." } ]