- Environment Minister sees gas production in front of Borkum as critical
Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) has expressed concern about gas extraction off the North Sea island of Borkum. "Potential gas extraction near the sensitive National Park Wattenmeer raises serious concerns about marine protection," Lemke stated. "The North Sea is already heavily used, each additional offshore installation poses a risk to marine life and plants. This is why gas extraction is subject to strict marine and nature conservation guidelines. If gas extraction off Borkum does indeed proceed, it must be guaranteed that the protection of the Wattenmeer takes precedence."
Lemke described the Wattenmeer as a jewel. "It is unacceptable that this valuable ecosystem is damaged and its UNESCO status is put at risk to extract gas for a few years."
The responsible Lower Saxony state authority granted the Dutch energy company One-Dyas a 18-year permit for the controversial drilling on Wednesday. The drilling is planned to take place near the National Park Wattenmeer from Dutch territory into German territory. However, an agreement between Germany and the Netherlands is still needed for the gas extraction.
The Dutch energy company One-Dyas has been granted permission to drill for gas in the North Sea, close to The Netherlands' border with Germany. This drilling site is located near the sensitive National Park Wattenmeer, which is a significant concern for Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke from The Netherlands.
