People living in Drenthe with damaged property due to natural gas extraction-induced earthquakes will soon be able to file claims more easily.
Translation by Traci White
Economic minister Eric Wiebes has called for the creation of an independent national commission to process damage claims resulting from resource extraction. RTV Drenthe reports that claims Emmen and Zuidlaren will continue to be handled according to the same process. Nearly 500 people have filed damage claims in the province, and around 93 percent of people have accepted NAM’s offers to compensate them,
In the future, damage victims will no longer be dependent upon the companies carrying out the extraction works themselves to process their claims. Minister Wiebes wants the new commission to expedite how quickly claims are handled and make the procedure more accessible.
A damage processing protocol specifically for the province of Groningen is still in the works, but Wiebes has stated that he wants to ensure that all Dutch citizens dealing with damage property due to resource extraction can more easily claim compensation. Wiebes wants all forms of resource extraction, such as salt, geothermal heating, natural gas from smaller natural gas fields and former mines in Limburg, to be accounted for by the new commission.
| Econ 050
What does Dutch law say about compensating land owners who have natural resources found on their property? The Northern Times is launching a new podcast – Econ 050 – about the economy in the north, and one of our first episodes will be a conversation about the future of natural gas in the region, continued dependence on gas as an electricity source and the role of the Dutch state in the industry. The podcast will be dropping soon, so be sure to keep an eye on the site for the launch! |
