- An attempt to recover a hard drive containing 8,000 bitcoins from a landfill has hit court
- James Howells discarded the drive in 2013 and has been fighting for years to try and reclaim it
- Newport City Council opposes the excavation, citing environmental concerns and legal ownership of landfill contents
James Howells, a resident of Newport, Wales, has seen his bid to recover a hard drive containing more than $816 million worth of bitcoins reach court. Howells has proposed a meticulously crafted plan to excavate a designated area of the local landfill where he believes the hard drive resides, including the use of artificial intelligence and robotics. However, Newport City Council has resisted these efforts, expressing environmental concerns and asserting legal ownership over items deposited in the landfill.
Partner Threw Out Drive in 2013
In the summer of 2013, during an office cleanup, Howells inadvertently placed the hard drive holding his Bitcoin wallet into a bag destined for the landfill. His then-partner, unaware of the drive’s significance, took the bag to the local dump. Upon realizing the mistake, Howells approached Newport City Council, seeking permission to search the landfill. Despite offering a share of the potential recovered funds, his requests were consistently denied.
Howells has since been campaigning for access, taking his bid to the Cardiff Civil and Family Court, where it was heard this week. Howells’ legal team argued that advancements in technology and thorough planning have made it feasible to locate the hard drive within a specific section of the landfill, emphasizing that the search is not akin to finding a “needle in a haystack” due to the narrowed-down location.
Council Says it Owns the Drive
Representing Newport City Council, James Goudie KC contended that Howells has no legal claim to the hard drive, stating, “Anything that goes into the landfill goes into the council’s ownership.” The council also raised concerns about the environmental impact of the proposed excavation and potential violations of environmental regulations, highlighting that the landfill contains over 1.4 million tonnes of waste, including hazardous materials such as asbestos and arsenic. They argued that excavating the site could pose significant environmental risks and contravene existing permits.
Howells’ team countered by proposing the use of advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence and robotic devices, to minimize environmental disruption during the search. The court has yet to make a final decision regarding Howells’ request to excavate the landfill, but it opposes the move then the Welshman will find himself running out of options to recover his stash.
