The municipality of Aa en Hunze has the bottom of the Grote Moere near Grolloo examined by an independent agency. Mayor Anno Wietze Hiemstra promised this in a conversation with concerned residents of the village.
Aa en Hunze stopped the filling of the former sand extraction lake at the end of October, after research by a group of residents showed that Staatsbosbeheer had dumped soil in the Grote Moere without a permit for ten years.
Residents of Grolloo are concerned about possible contamination of the lake and are happy that the municipality is conducting research into the soil. “Research not only needs to be done on the surface, but also at a depth of 18 meters,” says Oncko Burghgraef, of the Association of Village Interests in Grolloo and Surroundings (VDOG). “We want to know whether the lake is contaminated at that depth.”
“There are concerns among the residents of Grolloo and we take them seriously. We also want to know what is going on,” a spokesperson for Aa en Hunze responds to the question why soil research is being done. According to the spokesperson, residents of Grolloo will be involved in the choice of the investigation agency.
Previously, the Hunze en Aa’s Water Board announced that it would investigate the water quality in the Grote Moere. The results of that study will probably be known next week. This should make it clear, among other things, whether there are chemical substances in the puddle.
VDOG has announced that it will not take the water board’s research results seriously. “The water board is responsible for and must monitor everything that takes place below the waterline. So a butcher who inspects his own meat.”
According to Aa and Hunze, the fact that the municipality is now also having an investigation carried out is not an unnecessary luxury. “In consultation with the residents of Grolloo, it was decided to conduct an additional investigation, in addition to the water board’s investigation, to determine for sure what was dumped,” said the municipality spokesperson.
“So it is mainly an extra bit of certainty and confirmation. Moreover, the water board is investigating the water quality. We now also want to do a soil survey.”
The intention is for the Grote Moere to become a nature recreation area in the future. Initially, the work at the lake was supposed to be completed in 2026, but Staatsbosbeheer previously indicated that it would need many more years.
Work is halted until further notice. The municipality of Aa en Hunze is currently investigating whether the permit can still be granted.