A British man has initiated a legal claim against a local council in Wales to recover a hard drive that contains 8,000 BTC, which he accidentally discarded in 2013, according to WalesOnline.

The case involves James Howells, 39, who famously lost a hard drive with his Bitcoin assets worth around $1 million in 2013; that same amount is now evaluated at over $527 million.

For years, Howells has petitioned Newport Council, which oversees the landfill that is believed to house the drive, but he claims he has been largely ignored. He is suing for damages of £495 million ($646 million), reflecting the peak valuation of his lost Bitcoins.

Planned for December, the hearing of this case aims to either force the council into approving an excavation to recover the drive or engage in a legal battle.

Howells's excavation proposal includes a $13 million budget and a team with the former head of landfill, who believes he can identify the precise location of the hard drive. However, the council has dismissed this proposal on environmental grounds.

"I’m still allocating 10% of the value for the council, even though they have been problematic throughout," said Howells. "That would be £41 million based on today’s rate, but in the future it could be hundreds of millions."