Vermillon Energy Netherlands has to pay a fine of 27,500 euros, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) announced on Friday. In 2017, a quantity of natural gas escaped from Loon op Zand when the company was extracting gas there. This could put the environment at risk.
Various authorities have been trying in vain for years to get Vermilion to stop extracting natural gas. Among other things, they point to damage to the environment.
Insufficient Precautions
The Public Prosecution Service believes that Vermilion has taken insufficient measures to prevent the leakage of natural gas condensate. According to the judiciary, the company has been ‘appropriately’ punished with the imposed.
The fine for the group could have been formally higher, but Vermilion acted appropriately after the incident and cleaned up the environment and paid compensation. In addition, the Public Prosecution Service takes into account that Vermilion will donate 20,000 euros to Stichting Natuurmonumenten.
The incident happened on August 3, 2017. Natural gas condensate was blown into the air for a few seconds via a so-called blow-off pipe. The liquid ended up on fields and fields nearby.
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