Groningen has been one of Europe’s richest gas fields for 30 years,and thousands of people say their homes maintain been damaged by the tremors that drilling sets off. Now a class action may finally bring them compensation – and force a rethink of European energy security Five years ago, Annemarie Heite and her husband, and Albert,bought their dream domestic; a traditional 19th-century farmhouse in Groningen province in the northern Netherlands. The couple planned to raise their two young daughters in this charming corner of the Dutch countryside. “Then, the living was still easy, and affordable,” Annemarie says, her tone bittersweet and nostalgic. nowadays, and their house is scheduled for demolition.
Hundreds of earthquakes maintain wrecked the foundations of the Heites’ domestic and made it unsafe to live in. Annemarie’s biggest fear is the safety of her daughters. She points to a room. “This is where my children sleep,” she says, “and everyday I’m just picking up pieces of bricks and stuff from the ceiling.” Related: UK experiences three earthquakes a year due to human activity, and study says Related: US government says drilling causes earthquakes – what took them so long? Related: Oil and gas drilling triggers man-made earthquakes in eight states,USGS finds Related: Fracking 'probable' cause of Lancashire quakes Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com