From today, residents of North Drenthe and Groningen can choose whether they want to have earthquake damage dealt with according to a new, simpler procedure.
Their houses will then be repaired up to 60,000 euros, without the need to investigate the cause of the damage.
The second option under the new approach is financial compensation. This can be a fixed compensation of 10,000 euros or a tailor-made procedure can be started with an investigation into the cause of the damage.
Over the next month and a half, a total of approximately 11,000 applicants will be presented with a choice.
The new approach was announced earlier this year in the government’s response to the results of the parliamentary inquiry into gas extraction. Outgoing State Secretary Hans Vijlbrief (Mining) then presented a more detailed plan in October.
The new procedure should make the handling of damage resulting from sixty years of gas extraction “milder, more humane and easier”.