British man sues council over $647M in lost Bitcoin
James Howells, an IT engineer from Newport, is suing Newport City Council for approximately $647 million in damages after the council refused to allow him to search for a hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC), which he accidentally discarded in 2013.
The drive, which Howells mistakenly threw out during a household cleanout, is now buried in a landfill.
Howells has spent a decade trying to retrieve the hard drive, which could be worth nearly half a billion British pounds today.
However, the council has consistently denied his requests to excavate the landfill, citing environmental risks.
The site contains hazardous materials such as asbestos and methane, raising concerns about the potential environmental impact of any excavation.
Despite offering 10% of the recovered Bitcoin to the council, Newport City Council remains firm in its decision, citing legal and environmental issues.
They argue that digging up the landfill could harm the surrounding environment and that the operation of the landfill is subject to strict monitoring.
Howells has assembled a legal team to pursue the lawsuit, which will be heard in December.
At the time of writing, the Bitcoin price was $62,692.37.
Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.
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