Region sees many ambiguities in draft gas decree 2023/2024

Gas extraction after all? Provide clarity about the conditions

Outgoing State Secretary Vijlbrief intends to stop extracting gas from the Groningen field as of October 1, 2023. Only when it gets cold will clusters of gas wells be opened so that any problems with security of supply can be addressed. Among other things, the region believes that the draft decision does not provide clarity about the conditions under which one or more clusters of gas wells can still be brought to 'pilot light level' and what this level is.

According to the draft decision, in principle no gas will be extracted from the Groningen field in the 2023-2024 gas year. Only if the temperature drops to -6.5 °C or colder will the eleven remaining clusters of gas wells be put on standby. If gas supplies from, for example, the Norg gas storage facility are at risk, the Groningen field can be used to ensure that gas supplies are not disrupted.

In the determination decision, the State Secretary must clearly stipulate how and under what conditions gas may be extracted from the Groningen field. The regional authorities consider the draft decision to be unclear on these points.

Add unsafe homes to the reinforcement task as soon as possible

The region also wants to know what effect the draft decision will have on the reinforcement program. If risk analyses show that homes need to be added to the reinforcement program, this must be done promptly and added to the regular reinforcement program. The State Secretary has made commitments in this area but has not yet fulfilled them. The region also believes that the State Secretary must guarantee that buildings that are not or will not be included in the reinforcement program meet the safety standard.

More humanity in claims handling

The region believes that the Groningen Mining Damage Institute (IMG) should have sufficient legal scope and financial resources to compensate damage fairly and generously, even beyond the liability of NAM. In addition, in the case of complex or multiple damage, it should be possible to process damage claims in a simple manner, without discussing every single item of damage, and to repair the foundations of buildings. The region also wants to simplify the process for residents by setting up a single point of contact for mining damage in Groningen, where the legal presumption of evidence is applied to areas where multiple mining activities take place.

Improve the well-being of residents

Residents expect the Groningen field to close on October 1, 2023, and that is also necessary. The State Secretary is partially accommodating this by stipulating that, in principle, no gas may be extracted in the coming gas year. However, this does not resolve the problems faced by our residents in terms of damage compensation, reinforcement, mental health, and perceived safety. The lack of clarity in the draft decision also causes concern and could lead to social disruption. The region calls on the State Secretary to remove these ambiguities in the final decision and to work with the region to reduce the negative (mental) impact and strengthen the well-being and broad prosperity of the region.

Governments involved

Due to the holiday period, decision-making will take place at different times at the organizations involved. These are the municipalities of Groningen, Midden-Groningen, Het Hogeland, Eemsdelta, Oldambt, Pekela, Veendam, Westerwolde, Westerkwartier, Stadskanaal, and the province of Groningen, the Groningen Safety Region, and the Noorderzijlvest and Hunze en Aa’s water boards.