Administrative questions 2021

The cabinet has decided to give municipalities and water boards the option of raising the asset threshold for people entitled to state pension (AOW) and those who are fully incapacitated for work by a maximum of €2,000 as of January 1, 2022. Do you intend to propose that the CHI adopt this relaxation? (Gerard Meuwese, December 7, 2021)

Various questions about, among other things, the measurement and sampling method, the storage of locally sourced fresh water in the subsurface, a national approach to groundwater management, and the possibilities of enforcement and other administrative law instruments such as administrative coercion. (Leo Schagen, December 7, 2021)

Do you ever declare objections inadmissible because the deadline has been exceeded (slightly)? If so, would HHNK please be more flexible in this regard in the future? (Peter Vonk, November 29, 2021)

We have target images for water quality for each body of water. Would it be possible to improve water quality (in a water body) by changing the fish population, for example by catching or releasing certain fish species, and giving recreational and commercial fishermen a role (possibly paid) in this? Do you see opportunities for a few pilot projects? (Peter Vonk, November 27, 2021)

Is it true that you are working on a (revised) regional displacement series? Can you explain the content, the process, and the collaboration? Why is the decision-making taking place in D&H and not in the CHI? How does the decision-making process work at other water authorities? Can you confirm that the displacement series has an impact on important themes for which the CHI sets frameworks, such as energy (transition), water shortage, drought, IJsselmeer strategy, and peat meadows/land subsidence? Would it not be desirable to be able to take the input from the CHI to regional and national tables? (Luuk Zaal, November 26, 2021)

Are you familiar with the article 'Trio of contractors for renovation and maintenance of water treatment plants' (NHD, September 12)? Is this correct? Will this be explained in more detail in the BMW committee or in the CHI? Why are all RWZI's mentioned? How does this relate to tendering locally as much as possible? Are local subcontractors being engaged for this and have agreements been made about this? (Elly Koning-Bruijn and Gerard Meuwese, November 2, 2021)

Why are the additional mowing operations on Texel no longer carried out by the municipality's own service? How many times does the hired contractor mow the waterways in question and what are the costs? Were local HHNK employees with knowledge of the area involved in the preparation and decision-making, and if so, how? Does this fit in with HHNK's mowing policy? (Arie Lap, September 1, 2021)

Your press release about the painting work on the Zeesluis Edam states that on September 3, attention will be paid to the water lines by means of walking tours. Does this comply with the applicable COVID rules? What is the financial picture for this event? Will HHNK receive compensation for the costs? Where can we contact HHNK to facilitate activities for the bridges and locks? (Ronald van Schoorl, August 31, 2021)

Your council has always taken the position that the IJsselmeer and Markermeer lakes must remain untouchable as freshwater and drinking water buffers. Today we read an article in the NHD newspaper in which members of the House of Representatives expressed their support for housing construction in the Markermeer as a solution to the increasing demand for space in the Netherlands. We find it very disturbing that this idea is circulating in political circles in The Hague. Are you aware of these ideas? Would you please take a position on this as soon as possible and share it with the press? Would you please keep the CHI informed of these actions, the reactions, and the follow-up? (Jacob Avis, August 24, 2021)

In the daily HHNK newsletter, we read an article entitled "George Soros uses his money to make radical ideas mainstream in the Netherlands too." It stated that HHNK would also provide financial support to keep OneWorld going. Is this claim true? (Jacob Avis and Elly Koning-Bruijn, August 18, 2021)

At the CHI meeting on June 23, you promised to present an evaluation of the flooding on June 18 at the end of August. No further agreements were made regarding the research questions and the implementation of the study. The NHD newspaper reported on July 1 that you may organize meetings for those affected. Would you be willing to involve the CHI at an early stage and keep it informed about the formulation of the research questions, the design of the study, the methodology, and the timeline? (Arnold Langeveld, July 5, 2021)

Schagen has a number of beautiful canoe routes that are well used. Most of the routes are in good condition and there is great satisfaction with a recently constructed new jetty. Unfortunately, some parts of the marked routes are almost impassable. Reeds are obstructing the passage for canoeists. Would you be willing to periodically check and improve the passability of the routes so that they are navigable during the season? (Frank Frowijn, July 5, 2021)

Vertical drainage is increasingly being used in residential construction. In areas with salt seepage and when drains are installed through layers of clay and peat, vertical drainage can pose a risk to groundwater and surface water quality. No permit is required for the use of vertical drainage. The CDA party believes that perforations in areas with saltwater seepage should be licence as soon as possible. Can you indicate a timeline for this? Can this be taken into account when updating the regulations under the Omgevingswet? (Frank Frowijn, July 5, 2021) 

During the theme session on Peat Meadow Areas/Laag Holland on April 28, it was agreed that D&H would formulate HHNK's policy intentions so that a framework could be established for HHNK's contribution to the Laag Holland Area Program. Would you please send us this memorandum? (Wim Hamers, June 25, 2021)

The province of North Holland is the competent authority for regional waterway management. The province manages 250 km of waterways itself, but has outsourced the management of 100 km of waterways to us. Why? Waterway management is not one of our core tasks. Do you intend to divest this management in the long term? If not, why not? What activities does this involve? What costs do we incur and what financial contribution do we receive for this? (Luuk Zaal, June 24, 2021)

At the CHI meeting on May 12, Mr. Swaag asked how the participation process had gone in the creation of the Burkmeer Water Level Decision. Mr. Schenk replied that he was not aware of any negative signals and that all opinions received came from outside the area. However, the possibility of submitting an opinion is not the same as a participation process. Therefore, the question remains: Was there a participation process? What did it look like? How did it proceed? And what were the results and findings? (Arnold Langeveld, June 18, 2021)

During the dredging of the Beemsterringvaart canal about six years ago, too much silt was removed from the banks. As a result, the reed-covered banks are no longer stable and the reeds are loose. Is the coordination between navigation management and reed management in our organization optimal? Is the dredging policy too focused on the quantity of dredged material rather than on qualitative criteria such as water quality, bank management, prevention of erosion, and dike stability? Is there sufficient supervision dredging work? And would you like to invite us to join you in considering the method of dredging, particularly in the outer/peat meadow area, more climate-adaptive measures, and the possibilities for promotingNature-Based Solutions? (Leo Schagen, May 31, 2021)

Until recently, it was possible to view the water level decisions in our area via the HHNK website. Recently, this is no longer possible for all water level decisions. Is there a way to view all water level decisions without having to request them first? A water level decision in my area no longer mentions the summer and winter levels, but rather an upper and lower limit. When was this changed and has this been adequately communicated to all parties? There are often significant differences between the 'theoretical' water level in the water level decision and the actual water level. Are the water levels regularly remeasured before they are re-established? (Arie Lap, May 31, 2021)

The data center complex at Agriport has approximately 150 diesel generators, and the associated storage tanks contain approximately 200,000 to 300,000 litre of litre . What precautions have been taken? What regulations apply to such a large quantity of diesel and fuel, and are they being monitored? Have the risks to the environment been identified? (Jacob Avis, May 25, 2021)

A maximum cooling water capacity has been agreed with PWN for each data center. Can you share this maximum capacity with us? You state that the discharged brine water has no adverse effect on surface water quality. Do you mean the quality of the waterways in our management area? This brine water is mixed with surface water in the waterways. Doesn't that make this surface water saltier? What are the effects on water quality, aquatic life, and salinization? How is it possible that the Medemblikkervaart is not part of our freshwater supply? What do you mean by 'our freshwater supply'? What route does the discharged water take to the Leemans pumping station? (Luuk Zaal, May 14, 2021)

The dyke improvement in Uitdam-Dorp as formulated in the Delta Program Commissioner's recommendation is considerably more expensive than an axis shift with implementation in soil. However, thanks to his mediation, €10 million in additional funding has become available. The independent EIA committee says: "For the Uitdam-Dorp module, the principle of 'austere and efficient' has been placed in a different perspective on the basis of this advice." How will the difference between the financing and the costs (€2 to €5 million) be financed? (Peter Vonk, May 12, 2021)

Are you familiar with the 'Het Regent Tonnen' campaign? Do you agree with the CDA party that such a campaign—which contributes to climate adaptation by citizens themselves, to greater water awareness among citizens, and to better participation by people who are distanced from the labour market is both useful and appealing? Are you willing to investigate whether such a campaign could also be organized in our region? (Frank Frowijn, May 8, 2021)

How many measurement companies and table companies are in the top 50 of major polluters and what is the total number of pollution units? How many of these companies have some form of pre-treatment? What types of companies are involved and where are they located? (Ron Wiese, April 21, 2021)

What is the temperature of the cooling water to be discharged? If it is higher or lower than the surface water, is this considered thermal pollution? What are the consequences for aquatic life and water quality? Is this monitored and have agreements been made with the data centers about this? What are the consequences of the salt in the cooling water for salinization and for livestock watering? How many ppm does the discharge water contain? What other substances are added to the cooling water and discharged? Are additional regulations needed? (Elly Koning-Bruijn on behalf of Natuurlijk BBW, AWP, Lijst Meuwese-Avis, and CDA, April 20, 2021)

How is HHNK involved in granting permits for data centers? What is the duration of the permits? What is the maximum number of days that cooling water may be used? Where do data centers fit into the displacement series? What substances does the cooling water contain and what is its temperature? How and where is the used cooling water discharged and what are the effects? How does the use of cooling water affect freshwater supplies, salinization, and land subsidence in our area? What impact does the arrival of data centers have on the need for dike reinforcements? (Luuk Zaal, April 13)

Today, we received news via both WNL and NHD about the data centers in Wieringermeer, also in relation to HHNK. A letter from the province to, among others, the municipality of Hollands Kroon was quoted. Have you received a copy of this letter? If so, would you please share it with the general board? (Jacob Avis, March 30, 2021)

In the future, HHNK must continue to purchase large amounts of electricity locally and feed electricity back into the grid. Can you provide an overview of the top 15 to 20 locations with the highest consumption (including the type of installation) and/or generation (including the distribution in terms of CHP, solar panels, and wind turbines) of electricity in 2020? And of the expected future scenario in 3 to 5 years (after the closure of the SDI)? (Theo Breedijk, March 22, 2021)

In response to my previous questions (December 2020), you indicated that the three parties involved had established a number of 'development principles' during the process of drawing up the Area Plan. New initiatives in the area would be assessed against these principles. Has this been done? For HHNK, the most important principle was 'water-neutral implementation of plans'. After the plans have been realized, does HHNK actually assess whether the qualitative and quantitative requirements have been met? (Arnold Langeveld, February 22, 2021)

A water board is not allowed to borrow money for investment purposes. This is regulated by the FIDO Act, which governs the financing of local authorities. But of course we are allowed to borrow money to cover (planned) expenditure. So what's stopping us from taking advantage of the current negative interest rates? A negative interest rate of 0.1% yields €1 million on €1 billion. (Peter Vonk, February 20, 2021)

Will the new Water Plan (WBP6) Omgevingswet in the spirit of the Omgevingswet ? What does the process look like? How is participation organized? Who will be consulted and why? What considerations did you have in choosing to limit the consultation process (due to the coronavirus)? Will participation be measured and will the input be classified? Can the input be presented openly and transparently for everyone to see? Will building blocks be used again? If so, which ones? And can this process also serve as a pilot for a (possible) new participation policy? (WN, AWP, and NT, February 15, 2021)

In an article in the NHD about Agriport A7, we read that an HHNK employee who came to inspect a pumping station on Microsoft's premises was sent away by security. Is this story true? Who owns the pumping station? Who is responsible for the water level on this site? What are the access regulations for HHNK employees? Can situations like this be prevented in the future? (Jacob Avis, February 15, 2021)

In recent years, various pesticide levels exceeding the standards have been detected around the plots of a farmer in the Drieban polder. Can you qualify and quantify these? Is there a link between the pesticides found and ornamental plant cultivation? How has this issue been communicated to the grower and the Province? How do the exceedances relate to the objectives of the WFD, our own ambitions, and biodiversity? What follow-up actions or improvement measures are needed? Can the Agriculture Portal fulfil a stimulating role in this? (Sjon Wagenaar on behalf of WN, AWP, PvdA, and NT, February 10, 2021)

At the beginning of January, HHNK removed the sheep fencing and posts on the dike around the De Nek nature reserve, between Schellinkhout and Wijdenes. This could lead to disturbance by people and dogs. Why was this done? How does this fit in with our biodiversity policy? Has there been any contact with the nature reserve manager? What measures are you taking to prevent disturbance? (Franke Hoekstra, February 2, 2021)

Why is the tax burden for farmers in our area proportionally the highest in the Netherlands? What opportunities does the new tax system offer to bring this tax burden more in line with that for farmers in other water authorities? Would you like to make a proposal to the general board to achieve this when presenting the 2022 budget? (Frank Frowijn and Simon Ruiter, February 2, 2021)

The use of geotextiles can lead to the release of microplastics into the environment. What is HHNK doing to prevent or combat the spread of geotextile residues? How many hydraulic engineering projects have used geotextiles in the past two years? Can you give an indication of the amount of geotextile used? What alternatives are there to the use of geotextiles? Have you considered applying these alternatives in the past two years? (Luuk Zaal, January 19, 2021)

Do you recognize that there is an increasing amount of nuisance and damage to waterways and flood defenses caused by rodents and crayfish in rural areas? Is the extent of this damage known? What is HHNK doing to combat nuisance and damage caused by animals? Can this topic be put on the agenda for discussion in the Water & Roads Committee?

Are you familiar with the STOWA report Quality of Rainwater Runoff in the Netherlands (2020)? Can this report be shared with the CHI? How does HHNK monitor rainwater runoff? What does this report mean for the five regional implementation agendas (Vision on Spatial Adaptation)? (Arnold Langeveld, January 17, 2021)

In the weekly mail, we received the letter from the Union of Water Boards and the Minister about the national COVID-19 wastewater monitoring at wastewater treatment plants. Can HHNK meet the Minister's request? When will the sampling at our wastewater treatment plants take place seven times a week? (Peter Vonk, January 8, 2021)