Farmers have blocked all access roads to waste processing company Attero in Wijster with tractors. Large lumps of gravel and rubble have been dumped on the road. The mayor of Midden-Drenthe, Cees Bijl, has now issued a letter stating that the farmers must leave the site and clear the road again.
There were about fifteen tractors on the access roads this morning, but it has become increasingly crowded during the day. The blockade of the roads has caused considerable traffic jams, where several trucks are waiting. Despite the letter from the municipality, the farmers continue to demonstrate in the area.
It is not the first time that farmers have blocked the access roads to the farm. That already happened last week. Farmers see the company, and the waste processing sector, as an important emitter of nitrogen. The police are now present and have entered into discussions with the farmers.
Attero says he understands that the farmers want to express their dissatisfaction, but that this is an inappropriate way. “During the coronalockdown, we did not fall under the vital sector for nothing,” says a spokesperson on behalf of the company, who also points out the public function of the company.
At Attero, waste is collected and processed from the Drenthe municipalities, among other things. “Where should that go now? This blockage is undesirable. We hope that the road will be reopened as soon as possible.”