Although the Blansjaar family in Norg, according to Sietze de Jong, is ‘in the top three of Norg’ when it comes to damage from gas extraction, they have been able to expect exactly 0 euros. De Jong, who became an expert against will and thanks, sees that the handling of mining damage is still ‘not working properly’.
To draw attention to this once again, De Jong invited council members of the municipality of Noordenveld for a tour of Norg on behalf of the Temporary Working Group on Mining Damage One (TWME). At various addresses, residents told about their damage and especially how it was settled.
For example, Peter Blansjaar has been living on Molenstraat for three years now. In a short time he easily points out three large cracks. There are many more, but time is limited due to the tight schedule. Blansjaar reported the cracks in his home to the Institute for Mining Damage Groningen (IMG), which had a research agency come by. The total damage: 0 euros.
“The man who came here said, even before he started, that we should assume that we wouldn’t get anything,” says Blansjaar. “I don’t need money from the IMG, I just want this resolved.”
Blansjaar had research agency 10BE at the door. One problem is that the IMG hires several research agencies to come and assess damage. This leads to differences in neighborhoods.
In the Leeuwerikstraat, for example, 24 people have reported damage, De Jong knows. “In 23 of those cases, money was paid, in one case not. I assist that family in their process. It is impossible to explain.”
“Up to 60,000 euros in damage, no more research is done into causality,” she outlines. “But irrevocable decisions are in principle not reassessed. That stings.”
She is hopeful that people who have applied for a fixed compensation of 5,000 euros will receive an additional 5,000 euros.
In the meantime, De Jong continues to assist families with claims in Norg in their claims settlement process. “Because things are still not going well. You can’t compare it, but sometimes these things can be compared to the benefits affair.”