Dorpsbelangen Schoonebeek is not satisfied with the letter that the Emmer council of mayor and aldermen wants to send to the state secretary about the injection of production water into empty gas fields. Chairman Jos van Hees announced this on Monday evening during a hearing in the town hall.
Van Hees thinks it is good that Emmen is asking for more financial compensation and guarantees, but states that Emmen is missing the point by not reporting anything in the draft letter to the State Secretary about the research that Dorpsbelangen had conducted. This research measured support among the population. “We have the impression that the council has so far kept silent about the result. Is the opinion of the population of secondary importance?” Van Hees wondered.
The village survey conducted in the spring of 2023 shows that 57 percent of residents are not interested in wastewater in the soil. More than a third have no objection and 7 percent have no opinion about it. Of the almost 1,400 participants in the survey, 80 percent indicated that they were afraid of the consequences. Three quarters of them fear pollution of water and soil, 70 percent are afraid of land subsidence and 60 percent are afraid of earthquakes.
Toxic gases
Van Hees pointed out to the council members that 78 percent of supporters and opponents want a reversed burden of proof in advance. This means that victims do not have to prove themselves that damage was caused by wastewater injection, but that NAM must prove that the damage has another cause. 84 percent want a guarantee fund in advance.
Van Hees to the council members: “The fact that NAM and authorities consider risks to be limited seems to us to be only more reason to apply a reverse burden of proof. Are you still going to argue for a reverse burden of proof as a condition/advice for the permit?”
Van Hees was one of the eleven speakers at the hearing. A former NAM employee said he was afraid that toxic gases would eventually emerge and argued that his former employer’s plans no longer fit in at all in these times of energy transition and commitment to clean energy.
Stop Afvalwater Schoonebeek stated that claims handling is not properly arranged and argued for mandatory zero measurements at all houses within a radius of 5 kilometers around the gas field. “That is the area that can certainly sustain damage as a result of water injection,” said spokesperson Jenneke Ensink.
‘Directive’
Naoberschap Oliedorp said it found the survey that Dorpsbelangen had carried out ‘unfounded’ and ‘not representative’, partly because in its view the questions were guiding. Naoberschap is an organization that believes that NAM can carry out the operation in a responsible manner.