The continued concerns about the project by the Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij (NAM) to inject wastewater into empty gas fields at locations near Schoonebeek are leading to divisions within political groups in the Coevorden municipal council.
This became apparent during the council meeting tonight. Both within the PvdA faction and in the BBC2014 faction – both coalition parties – the noses were not on the same page.
The council had to vote on a ‘sub-plan’ for this project, which included the realization of new wells, cables and pipes. Although Schoonebeek is located in the municipality of Emmen, one NAM location is close to the municipal border.
It was not surprising that the opposition party PAC voted against this. This faction – which states that a better alternative is being developed in Emlichheim, Germany – has previously been critical of the entire project. But now PvdA councilor Marjan Nijenbanning has also reported on this file. “We understand that this is a formal procedure and that will all be correct, but we also see that there are major concerns among local residents. Concerns about health, safety and the future.” According to her, it is also confusing for citizens that decision-making is divided into different parts.
As far as she is concerned, Coevorden is taking a pause and first needs to become more clear about the effects of this project. “So that we only say ‘yes’ when we are sure it is safe.” Within her group, Michel Blanken also voted against the partial plan. At BBC2014, two of the ten councilors wanted a seat on the spot.
A council majority ultimately agreed with the council proposal. Councilor Jeroen Huizing (CDA) referred to the assessment that the government will still give on the entire project. “The fact that this project is cut into pieces does not make it much clearer and clearer for the residents, I agree with that,” he admitted. “And I also understand that attention must be paid to the effects, but that attention was certainly paid earlier in the process.”
The NAM wants to inject wastewater from oil extraction into the almost empty natural gas field in Schoonebeek and at the same time continue to extract the last natural gas from the field. The fear among opponents is that you do not know what the wastewater will do in the deep subsurface. Minister Sophie Hermans (Climate and Green Growth) follows an earlier conclusion from the State Supervision of Mines that with all the measures taken by NAM, the chance of leakage of waste water from the gas field is very small to negligible.