Additional research is needed before the minister will designate a location at the Colonies of Benevolence for gas extraction. “Oh really? That’s very nice”, reacts a surprised Henk Koene on behalf of Local Interest Vledderveen. “This was not known to me yet.”
Vledderveen is one of the possible locations where Vermilion wants to extract gas. A total of nine locations were investigated, including at Wilhelminaoord, Vledder and Vledderveen. They are all located in or close to the Colonies of Benevolence, which has the status of World Heritage. Earlier research showed that gas extraction for seven of those locations could jeopardize the retention of that status.
A follow-up study was carried out at two locations. This includes a location near Vledderveen, despite the fact that gas extraction there poses a threat to the World Heritage status of the Colonies. The other location that has been further investigated is between Vledder and Wilhelminaoord.
It is ultimately up to the minister to designate a location for Vermilion to explore and extract natural gas. The Committee for Environmental Impact Assessment now believes that additional research is required. She writes that the additional investigation “does not yet contain the essential information to make a decision”.
According to her, there is a lack of information about the effect on world heritage and nature. For example, she believes that the measures to reduce or compensate for nitrogen deposition should be more concrete, and that more research is needed into the consequences for the protected nature at the various locations and how these consequences can be prevented. “We are very happy with that”, says Henk Koene.
“Make visualizations of the gas extraction installation at relevant locations in order to properly assess the effects on World Heritage,” the committee writes. The minister says that he will adopt this advice.
The follow-up study shows that due to nitrogen all possible locations for gas extraction score ‘negative to very negative’ on the consequences for nearby Natura 2000 areas, but it could be possible by taking measures. The committee therefore believes that this should be specified more specifically. The Drents-Friese Wold is close to the possible locations for gas extraction.
In order to make a choice for a location to extract gas, ‘hard environmental preconditions’ must be decisive, according to the committee. This concerns the regulations regarding UNESCO World Heritage status and nature and nitrogen policy. “The committee has the impression that the hardness of these preconditions has been underestimated,” she writes in her advice.
Henk Koene with his Local Interest Vledderveen is far from the polonaise now that this advice has been given, he says. There is a petition going on in the village against gas extraction. “It has been signed about 230 to 240 times. And that for a village with about 300 adults.”
State Secretary Hans Vijlbrief, who is in charge of mining, has been invited by Local Interest to come to Vledderveen. “We would like to start the discussion with him.”