Bitcoin mining is an absurd obscenity. An entity planning to do it in a specific locale–in this case, Morgantown — responding to a direct question with “We can’t say what we’ll do till we see how the test well goes” should be told “You can’t have the test well, then.”

The nerve! Give us the permit, let us drill and add to your fossil fuel burden, and THEN we’ll say whether it’s for the usual unjustified uses or something even more egregious. Morgantown should metaphorically seize this scamp by the back of the collar and fling him out the door.

Send him packing back to Kanawha County.