Gas extraction in Groningen will gradually be reduced to zero, Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced in his weekly press conference on Thursday. He called it an "important decision". Shortly after the press conference, the government released a statement saying that gas extraction in the province will be reduced to less than 12 billion cubic meters per year by 2022, and then to 7.5 million cubic meters per year. "In the years after that gas extraction will be reduced to zero."
earthquake
Feb 12 '18 09:46
Over 700 donors for Oxfam Novib's Dutch branch withdrew their support to the organization due to reports of Oxfam Great Britain employees having sex parties with possibly underage prostitutes in Haiti in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake on the island in 2010. The Dutch branch understands why the donors are withdrawing their support, Ruud Huurman of Oxfam Novib Nederland said to BNR.
Feb 12 '18 08:43
The province of Groningen was hit by another earthquake caused by gas extraction on Sunday afternoon. The quake had a magnitude of 2.2, according to meteorological institute KNMI. It's epicenter was in the town of Garrelsweer at a depth of 3 kilometers.
On Thursday a 2.0 magnitude earthquake could also be felt in the province. This one's epicenter was in Scharmer, near Loppersum.
Feb 9 '18 14:10
Aid workers for charity organization Oxfam had sex parties with possibly underage prostitutes in the aftermath of the disastrous earthquake in Haiti, and the charity then covered it up, British newspaper The Times reported on Friday. "It came as a shock", a spokesperson of the Dutch branch of the charity, Oxfam Novib, said to the Telegraaf. "Everyone is a bit dazed here."
Feb 9 '18 07:45
An earthquake was felt in Groningen on Thursday afternoon. According to meteorological institute KNMI, the quake had a magnitude of 2.0 and it's epicenter was near Loppersum at a depth of 3 kilometers.
The quake happened around 4:30 p.m., according to broadcaster NOS. Dozens of people from Loppersum, Zeerijp and Garrelsweer reported feeling it. The KNMI called it an 'induced' earthquake, which means that it was caused by gas extraction.
Feb 2 '18 16:20
Gas production in Loppersum, Groningen has been shut down with immediate effect, Dutch petroleum company NAM announced on Friday. Closing the Loppersum gas fields immediately was one of the measures the state supervisor on mines SoDM advised following an earthquake in the region last month, the strongest earthquake to hit Groningen in five years.
Feb 1 '18 11:28
Gas extraction in Groningen must be halved to a maximum of 12 billion cubic meters a year in order to stop fracking earthquakes and guarantee safety in the province, the state supervisor on mines SoDM said in a recommendation to Minister Eric Wiebes of Economic Affairs and Climate on Thursday. The Loppersum clusters must close immediately, the SoDM said, RTL Nieuws reports.
Jan 23 '18 10:57
Dutch oil and gas giant NAM must immediately compensate homeowners in the fracking earthquake zone in Groningen for the depreciation of their home, the court in Leeuwarden ruled on Tuesday. The company only wanted to pay compensation at the sale of the house, arguing that the level of depreciation is only then clear. But the court ruled that it is possible to estimate the value decline of a home without it being sold, NOS reports.
Jan 17 '18 08:45
Almost all parties in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, demanded that Minister Eric Wiebes of Economic Affairs and Climate come up with a protocol for handling earthquake damage caused by gas extraction in Groningen within two weeks. Wiebes will make haste on such a protocol, but can not give a time frame for when it will be ready, he said in a parliamentary debate on the matter on Tuesday, NOS reports.
Jan 11 '18 12:58
The Centrum Veilig Wonen (CVW), the Dutch official contact point related to earthquake damage, counted 1311 damage reports filed after the earthqueke that struck in Zeerijp last Monday. Around 200 damage reports come from the municipality of Zeerijp.
A 3.4-magnitude earthquake rattled the province of Groningen on Monday afternoon. It has been the hardest earthquake in Groningen since 2012. The KNMI meterology agency qualified the earthquake as "heavy".
Jan 9 '18 10:00
The Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy Eric Wiebes announced that he intends to accelerate the process of decreasing the gas production in Groningen. The minister made the declaration shortly after a relatively strong earthquake, caused by removing natural gas from the ground in the region, shook the province Monday afternoon, according to FD.
Jan 9 '18 09:30
The Centrum Veilig Wonen (CVW) in Groningen received 316 damage claims related to a magnitude 3.4 earthquake that struck Monday afternoon, newspaper AD reported. Some 46 of these complaints come directly from the village of Zeerijp, the epicenter of the earthquake.
Most of the damage reported are for cracks in walls and door that won't open. According to CVW spokesperson Arjan van de Leur, the agency is expecting the number of claims to rise much higher in the coming days. "Most of the people make a true estimation with daylight or over the weekend", he told AD.
Jan 8 '18 16:00
A 3.4-magnitude earthquake rattled the province of Groningen on Monday afternoon. There were no immediate damage reports of note following Monday 3 p.m. quake, which had an epicenter near Zeerijp and could be felt at least 10 kilometers away, the KNMI meteorology agency said.
Broadcaster RTV Noord said those in its Europapark, Groningen offices 20 kilometers away could also feel the ground shake.
Attorney Dennis Woudsma said on Twitter it felt as though the building he was in creaked loudly and then began violently shaking as though someone had grabbed it.
Jan 5 '18 09:30
Dutch oil and gas giant NAM warns that gas extraction in Hardenberg and its surrounds can cause subsidence, earthquakes and damages to buildings, De Stentor reports.
The NAM wants to keep extracting gas in the Hardenberg area for thirteen years longer than planned. The chances that these practices will cause ground vibrations are real, according to the company. In worst cases it could cause cracks in the nearby buildings.
Nov 23 '17 10:14
Minister Eric Wiebes of Economic Affairs and Climate called gas extraction in Groningen a "Dutch government failure of un-Dutch like proportions" during a visit to various Groningen municipalities affected by fracking earthquakes on Wednesday. He wants to quickly make agreements with the local governments about the consequences of earthquakes in the province, ANP reports.
Oct 18 '17 09:21
Too little attention is paid to children and young people in the Groningen earthquake zone, Children's Ombudsman Margrite Kalverboer said in a new study published on Wednesday. The study found that some of the 30 thousand kids and young people living in the area affected by gas extraction earthquakes, struggle to deal with the earthquakes and their consequences, AD reports.
Sep 20 '17 09:26
Dutch physiotherapist Jaime Willems was working in a hospital in the Mexican city of Puebla when a powerful earthquake hit on Tuesday, local time. The earthquake measured 7.1 on the Richter scale and already claimed the lives of 224 people. "It felt like the building was lifted and put down again twenty times in a row", Willems said to RTL Nieuws.
Sep 8 '17 10:07
Queen Maxima was in Mexico when a massive earthquake hit the country at 11:49 p.m. on Thursday local time, 6:49 a.m. on Friday Dutch time. The Dutch queen is safe and unharmed and will be returning to the Netherlands on schedule later today, the Telegraaf reports.
Jul 21 '17 11:30
Travel organization TUI currently has 2,721 Dutch tourists on the Greek islands of Kos and Kras. The organization is not planning an immediate evacuation of Dutch people on Kos, which was hit hard by a large earthquake just off the nearby Turkish coast early on Friday morning.
Jul 21 '17 08:36
A massive earthquake with a force of 6.7 on the Richter scale hit the southwestern coast of Turkey around 1:30 a.m. on Friday, local time. The epicenter of the quake was 10 kilometers form the coast of tourist resort Bodrum. Nearby Greek island Kos was also hit hard. Many Dutch tourists are on summer holiday at these locations, NU.nl reports.
Jun 9 '17 13:05
Prime Minister Mark Rutte is visiting Groningen next week Friday to discuss gas extraction and the problem the province has with fracking earthquakes. His schedule includes meetings with mayors, provincial managers, residents foundation Groninger Bodem Beweging and the Groninger Gasberaad, NU.nl reports.
Apr 19 '17 08:26
The Dutch government is reducing gas extraction in Groningen by a further 10 percent based on advice from the State supervision on mines SodM that this is the only way to reduce the chance of heavy earthquakes in the region, Minister Henk Kamp of Economic Affairs announced on Tuesday. This year 24 billion cubic meters of gas can be extracted in Groningen, as of October 1st that will be reduced to 21.6 billion cubic meters, NU.nl reports.
Dec 27 '16 12:10
Seven farmers in the province of Groningen are filing a lawsuit against Dutch petroleum company NAM. They want more than 6 million euros in compensation for damage caused by gas drilling in the province, NOS reports.
Over the past months there have been numerous negotiations between NAM and the farmers, but to no avail, according to the broadcaster. NAM is only willing to compensate a percentage of the damage amount. One farmer was offered 40 thousand euros in compensation, while he claimed 1.3 million euros.
Nov 16 '16 11:20
About 60 Dtuch tourists who were stranded in Kaikoura, New Zealand after an earthquake this weekend, are now able to continue their journey. Travel agency Travel Essence arranged a small airplane to pick them up from the coastal town, NU.nl reports.
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