Parliament votes to halt gas extraction in Warffum

Parliament has voted that the government cannot allow any more gas extraction in Warffum. A majority voted in favor of the motion calling for this by SP member of parliament Sandra Beckerman, which she submitted with the GroenLinks-PvdA and Partij voor de Dieren.

The PVV, ChristenUnie, Volt, DENK, and D66 also voted in favor of the motion. These parties have a combined total of 87 out of the 150 seats in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament.

Earlier this year, caretaker climate minister Sophie Hermans (VVD) approved an eight-year permit for gas extraction in Warffum. This led to anger from the residents in the town, who feared for their safety.

These concerns come as a result of a recent earthquake in Warffum. The regulators and Hermans have both stated that it is safe for gas extraction to take place in the Groningen town. The Council of State agreed with this decision after a lawsuit to stop the extraction was initiated by the Groninger Bodem Beweging and the administration of the province of Groningen.

Gas extraction in Warffum has always been a much-discussed topic. The former coalition of the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB had agreed on no more extractions of “Gronings gas.” However, it turned out that this only applied to the larger Groningenveld and not the smaller locations.