Dutch government bans shale gas drilling for 5 years

Komende vijf jaar geen boringen naar schaliegas door Sam de Voogt, 10 Juli, 2015, nrc.nl

Schalie Gas Vrej Nederland button

Een button op een demonstrant buiten de Tweede Kamer tijdens het debat over schaliegas. Organisaties als Milieudefensie en Schaliegasvrij Nederland vinden dat de bezwaren tegen het winnen van schaliegas serieuzer moeten worden genomen. Foto ANP/Bart Maat

Dutch government bans shale gas drilling for 5 years by Anthony Deutsch, Reuters, July 10, 2015

The Dutch government said on Friday it would ban shale gas drilling for five years and not renew existing exploration licences due to uncertainties about the environmental impact.

The decision comes as the Netherlands steps up its search for alternative energy sources in the wake of shrinking domestic natural gas supplies and strains in its relationship with major energy supplier Russia.

“There will be no shale gas drilling during this government period,” a statement said. At the end of 2015 the government will decide on the role of shale gas in the country’s long-term energy mix.

“It is still unclear how much shale gas there is and if its extraction would be financially feasible,” it said. “Research shows that there is uncertainty about the effect shale gas extraction would have.”

[Refer also to:

2013: Thumbs down on fracking in The Netherlands, 55 prominent professors of Dutch universities issued manifest against fracking

Profit of gas would be 20 to 30 billion; the ecological damage would be a multiple of that.

2013: The Netherlands puts temporary ban on fracking ahead of further research

2014: Netherlands: Friesland wants to be compensated for damages caused by drilling; Nearly $2 billion property damages in Groningen from gas drilling induced earthquakes [How many more billions in property damages if the government allowed fracing?]

2014: 100,000 Netherlands Homes Harmed by Natural Gas Extraction, Over 700 private homeowners and 12 Groningen housing corporations suing Netherlands Petroleum Company (NAM)

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