The municipality of Westerveld is not responding to the request from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy to designate a preferred location where gas extraction activities can take place in the municipality. Alderman Roel Vedder announced this tonight. “Every location has its drawbacks. We don’t think any location is suitable as a drilling and extraction location.”
The Canadian company Vermilion Energy wants to drill for gas in two gas fields around Wilhelminaoord and Vledderveen. In May it was announced that there would be consequences for all eight possible drilling locations in the area.
Most of them are located in the protected area around the Colonies of Benevolence. The Unesco area is characterized by old buildings such as colony houses of which the question is how good the foundations are. Other possible drilling locations pose a risk because of the archaeological finds made at the sites, the proximity of protected species or because they are located in a Natura 2000 area.
“We have no preference except: rather not. So we do not prefer,” says Vedder. “Not even to create appearances. Because we do see a lot of risks. We keep insisting on that.”
Vedder says he had expected more from the province of Drenthe. “The province is not running as fast as we would like to see it,” he explains. The municipality therefore does not have the means to prevent gas extraction.