The Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij (NAM) has its eye on the gas that is underground near the small village of Hobrede. In the coming years, NAM will continue to extract the gas from the ground, while it would stop doing so. At least, that’s what the residents thought. Now there is a fear of earthquakes and that is why almost all the villagers are taking action.
The small Hobrede tries to stop the NAM – NH News
There is no real storm in the village hall in Hobrede, but with 160 villagers that will not happen quickly. Still, the signatures are pouring in. The village council has come up with its own vision, in which they indicate that gas extraction and the resulting earthquakes are not desirable in the village. “We don’t want a Groningen situation here,” says Ed Wilms of the village council. Other villagers are also afraid that NAM wants to pump gas out of the ground much more and faster than it has done in recent years.
The NAM has announced that it will not increase gas production. “The gas rises naturally via the gas well and the pressure will continue to decrease over the years. However, NAM will continue to extract gas from these fields for longer than is described in the current extraction plan”
Hobrede is located in the municipality of Edam-Volendam. Both the municipality and the province are negative about NAM’s plans. The residents are especially afraid of earthquakes. “I experienced those vibrations and I still have the cracks from them,” says a signatory. Another says that it is not only about the damage from the earthquakes, but that people are still afraid of another earthquake every day.
Hobrede’s vision can be signed until Wednesday, also by the surrounding villages that are also on the gas field. In this way, the small village hopes to be able to take a stand against the national gas winner. Ed is willing to go to the Council of State himself, if necessary. “We are combative,” he says.
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