The Groninger Soil Movement (GBB) has filed two additional declarations in the long-running criminal case against the Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij (NAM). The residents’ association announced this on Wednesday. In the declarations, the association asks to investigate whether the NAM has deliberately put residents in danger of life.
In 2015, the GBB filed a complaint against NAM. According to the association, NAM would intentionally endanger human lives through gas extraction because of the damage to their homes. Initially, the Public Prosecution Service dismissed the case, after which the GBB tried to enforce prosecution through an article 12 procedure at the court in Leeuwarden. last may the court ruled that this is possible if it can be established in individual cases that the NAM is guilty of causing life-threatening danger. According to the Court, this may have been the case in one individual case. The Public Prosecution Service must now investigate this.
In addition to that one case, of Hiltje Zwarberg, who in 2014 had to leave their crooked house in Termunterzijl with his wife, the GBB is now submitting two additional cases. In all three cases, according to the GBB, there is “evidently” a life-threatening situation, because the residents had to evacuate. Two buildings were even declared uninhabitable.
Criminal case is game changer
The long-running criminal case against NAM had a major impact on the shareholders of the gas company, Shell and ExxonMobil. This became apparent during the public hearings of the parliamentary committee of inquiry in the House of Representatives, which is investigating Groningen gas production. Shell CEO Ben van Beurden called the case “a game changer”. Rolf de Jong of ExxonMobil, thought it was “shocking”.
How Wiebes lost the confidence of the Groningers
The fact that employees and executives of the company could be prosecuted for the consequences of gas extraction led to negotiations in 2018 with Prime Minister Mark Rutte (VVD) about the legal liability of NAM. The gas company was no longer responsible for dealing with earthquake damage, strengthening houses and the level of gas extraction. In return, Shell and ExxonMobil would cooperate with plans to extract less gas and would not file a claim for the gas that remains in the ground.