In a full-page advertisement in various national newspapers, the Groninger Soil Movement action group argues for a clear government policy on the earthquake problem. “Groningers are not victims of a natural disaster, but thousands of residents have been victimized by irresponsible gas extraction and subsequent failing government policies.”
Although the gas tap will be turned off in the coming years, there are still a number of things that the government must tackle, according to the interest group.
Problem with experts in claims handling
For example, the Soil Movement wants weak houses to be strengthened quickly, because the risk of more severe earthquakes is not yet completely gone. That will take far too long, which means that people are insecure and in some cases even have psychological problems, says the action group.
The advertisement also states that a clear line is needed when handling damage. Hired experts who take measurements would have little understanding of mining damage. “That often results in erratic compensation patterns: your neighbors will be compensated for the damage, but you will not.” The Groningen Mining Damage Institute (IMG) acknowledged that earlier this year also.
Why do earthquakes actually occur during gas extraction? NOS op 3 explains it in this video:
–
