In Vledderveen they are not happy with the adjustment of the access road to a proposed gas extraction location. It concerns drilling location number six between Vledderveen and the Oostvierdeparten under Noordwolde.
That place has come out the least badly in studies. From there, two new gas fields would be opened up in the area between Vledder and below Noordwolde.
Change route
The plan was initially to open up the drilling site behind the farm of campsite Bij het Ven to the Oostvierdeparten. But then you enter the Unesco area of the Colonies of Benevolence. The Society of Benevolence did not like that. And so it was decided to move the supply and disposal route to the PW Janssenlaan. That route ends in the middle of the village. All heavy freight traffic for the erection of the drilling rig will therefore have to pass there in due course.
At a members’ meeting of local importance in Vledderveen, there was no understanding for this among the approximately 100 very involved attendees. There is a lot of concern, says chairman Henk Koene. “I understand that they want to stay away from the buffer zone around the Oostvierdeparten. But to now allow heavy traffic on other narrow roads. They talk about additional measures, which ones? We estimate that the construction of the location could take up to a year. And then waste water is transported to Nijensleek during drilling. That’s also 40 trucks a week.”
Local Interest has therefore drawn up a petition. The members present signed it and the association is still going through the village to collect signatures. The hope is that Hans Vijlbrief, the State Secretary for Mining, will personally receive the petition at the end of this month. Vijlbrief was unable to attend this week, but based on that cancellation, Koene is hopeful that Vijlbrief will make his appearance in Vledderveen. Then he is told that people from Vledderveen are also looking at the misery in Groningen. And whether drilling to small gas fields is indeed safer than in Groningen is doubted by Koene.
“In addition, the soil in the area between the drilling location Westvierdeparten Vinkega and Nijensleek is already subsiding much more strongly than previously estimated. What does that mean for water management, for example?” There is also annoyance about the reversed burden of proof. In Groningen, residents no longer have to demonstrate that damage is caused by gas extraction, but this is still the case for small fields. Koene would also like to emphasize this inequality to Vijlbrief. “It’s just not organized properly.”
Puzzle
There is also criticism of the somewhat invisible council of the municipality of Westerveld. The municipalities of Weststellingwerf and Westerveld are, just like local interests, against the extraction of gas. But how the municipality now thinks about this access road is still a mystery to Koene. “We have not yet received a response from the mayor on this plan.”
By issuing an environmental permit, municipalities have control over what happens above ground.