I guess Kelo isn't so bad

At least, in New London, the land will still be accessible. Unlike in Zeeland:

In the name of European Union environmental directives, their farm is earmarked for flooding — the first time in Holland's centuries-long battle against water that a substantial piece of land is to be deliberately returned to the sea. Some 230 years after its flat pastures were wrested from the waters, the de Feijters' farm — their home for 33 years — is to be reflooded to reverse the disappearance of Zeeland's mudflats and salt marshes.

In other words, the Dutch have little say in their own national affairs anymore — if the entire country had to be given over to the sea by an EU "Habitats directive", I guess they'd just have to go along with it. [. . .]

All jokes aside, I'm actually horrified by this report.

In some ways, I'm surprised that this is the first time it's happening . . . the European Union's bureaucracy must be moving even slower than I'd expected. It's almost certainly just the start of a massive project (I'd sell any reclaimed land you may own now, while there's still a market for it).

Hat tip to Jon for the link.