Cabinet to provide Groningen with €20 billion in compensation for earthquake damage – The Northern Times

The Dutch government is ready to allocate more than €20 billion to Groningen homeowners to compensate them for the damage caused by years of gas drilling, sources say. Said NOS Broadcaster.

Funds are tricky and should be used for specific goals, such as infrastructure upgrades or equitable development. Money should also be used to repair damage and reinforce your home.

State administrators have previously said the cabinet will need to invest at least €30 billion in Groningen to pay off a “honorable debt” owed to the state after years of gas extraction. I was. This funding is desperately needed to improve quality of life and social cohesion in the province, tackle structural poverty and high unemployment, and make every home in Groningen gas-free.

Many Groningers believe that reparations and reinforcing homes to withstand earthquakes should be separate issues. These costs are estimated at He 5 billion to He 10 billion euros.

Two months ago, a parliamentary committee report Conclusion Gas extraction in the province has been so lucrative for Dutch state-owned and energy companies Shell and ExxonMobil that they ignored clear signs of long-term risks and adverse effects on Groningen residents.

Since drilling began 60 years ago, the Dutch Treasury has earned €363 billion, with Shell and Exxon earning around €66 billion. But “the interests of the people of Groningen were systematically ignored,” the report said. Less than 1% of that total has returned to Groningen. The Groningen community feels sidelined by the government and gas companies.

The commission said the large-scale extraction caused numerous tremors, leaving thousands of residents with damaged homes and health problems. widely believed to be the cause.

The tremors at the Groningen Field, opened in 1963, began in the 1980s. Because the soft local clay and sandstone began to migrate. Gas pumping activity in the north of the Netherlands has caused about 1,600 earthquakes, cracking 85,000 homes, farms, businesses and buildings, according to the commission.

The earthquake issue has created a tide of bipartisan political consensus about the urgent need to do more to compensate Groningen for the havoc caused by decades of gas drilling. Last month, a group of local and state leaders, mayors, aldermen, and water administrators issued A joint statement that the Hague needs to invest in the state much more than in recent years.

Groningen’s wish list included the following demands:

• Compensate for all damage and suffering caused to local residents
• Invest in communities, neighborhoods and villages
• Invest in secure livelihoods and broader prosperity for future generations
• Giving direction and trust to the inhabitants of Groningen
• Listening to and working with Groningen residents, local authorities, business owners and civil society organizations

Following an infamous report issued by a parliamentary commission of inquiry that accused the government and energy companies of ignoring the risks of gas production in Groningen, the statement said the cabinet and parliament owed Groningen a debt. expressed belief.