Over the next thirty years, the Dutch government will allocate a total of 22 billion euros to the area that has been hit by earthquakes as a result of years of natural gas extraction. Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced this on Tuesday. The prime minister acknowledged that the people of Groningen have been “abandoned for decades”.
Gas extraction has had serious consequences in the northern Dutch province of Groningen and in the north of Drenthe. Earthquakes have led to extensive damage to buildings, among other things. Two months ago, a parliamentary committee of inquiry was still very hard on the policy pursued in its final report. The interests of the inhabitants were “structurally ignored” for years because financial interests were put first, it was said at the time.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte had stated after that publication that he did not want to comment in detail yet, because he wanted to read the 2,000-page report first. The prime minister now states that his government “without reserve” endorses the conclusions of the parliamentary committee of inquiry.
Debt of honor
The people of Groningen have been “abandoned for decades”, says Rutte. Their voice was not heard and “their interests have been subordinated to a financial interest of the Netherlands”. This is a debt of honor, the prime minister acknowledges. “We cannot and do not want to ignore that.”
“The cabinet not only wants to learn from the mistakes that have been made, but also wants to rectify them. This also includes the task of repaying the debt of honor to the region and its residents that has arisen due to 60 years of gas extraction,” it sounds.
Measures
Measures are announced to make claims handling “milder, easier and more humane”. This increases the area in which people do not have to demonstrate that earthquake damage is caused by gas extraction. From now on, damage up to 40,000 euros will simply be reimbursed without an investigation into the cause.
Extra money is also being allocated to quickly make homes in the earthquake area more sustainable. In addition, billions are earmarked for improving mental health and improving the quality of life and economic prospects in the area. A total of 22 billion euros is available for all these plans, part of which had already been released earlier.
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