Parliamentary inquiry on Groningen gas earthquakes didn't restore locals trust in gov't

The parliamentary inquiry into gas extraction and the resulting earthquakes in Groningen did little to restore Groningen residents’ trust in the government, according to new research by Gronings Perspectief (University of Groningen), NOS reports.

Respondents don’t have much confidence in the government. They describe the involved authorities as impotent, ignorant, and unwilling. They also see little opportunity to “influence improving their own reinforcement process or reinforcement in general.”

The parliamentary inquiry was held last autumn. Respondents with little to no damage to their homes had more negative expectations from the survey than positive ones in the fall of 2022. In the spring of 2021, it was the other way around. People with more extensive damage to their homes were already negative in 2021, and even more so after the inquiry. They expect little or nothing will change as a result of the inquiry, the final report of which is expected next month.

Locals are still suffering from the consequences of gas extraction, the researchers found. Earthquake damage to their homes and the long dragging reinforcement operation affect their physical and mental health. Some report trouble sleeping, anxiety, and irritability, which they attribute to the gas extraction problem.

Kees Wildervank, who lives in an earthquake-damaged home in Overschild, is not surprised by the study's results. “The misery has been going on for over ten years. People are getting worse and worse,” he said to NOS. “There will be more tension between people and also between villages. The situation is getting worse. And that people’s health will deteriorate is inevitable.”