Nitrogen crisis: New government measures announced

This morning, Prime Minister Mark Rutte presented new government measures to deal with the Netherlands’ nitrogen and PFAS crisis. According to the RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment), these measures should reduce nitrogen precipitation in nature.

Maximum speed reduced

The maximum speed on the roads during the day will be lowered to 100 km per hour. You will be allowed to drive at a speed of 130 km per hour between 7pm and 6am. The government will announce when the new speed measures will take effect before December 1.

Building projects: Emergency law

An emergency law will be created that will make sure large building projects, such as coastal reinforcement, can still continue. The government will also put aside 250 million euros, which will be used for, amongst other things, excavating acidic nitrogen soil in Natura2000 areas.

Adjusting cattle feed

Farmers will have to adjust their cattle feed. They can choose to add artificial or natural additives to significantly reduce the nitrogen content in the feed. The government will also put aside an additional 60 million euros to buy out pig farmers who want to quit farming.

PFAS

The government will start measuring the PFAS values in the water using a national value. Measures will also be taken so that municipalities will be quickly able to map out the amount of PFAS in their area. Read more about PFAS.

New houses

Minister Stientje van Veldhoven (Environment and Housing) states that by taking these measures, the country will be able to reach its target of building 75.000 new homes next year.

Bigger picture

Prime Minister Rutte is not happy about the new speed limit but states: “Nobody likes it, but we need to think of the bigger picture. It is necessary to ensure that, amongst other things, people will not lose their jobs”.