Rijkswaterstaat Environment

Netherlands Soil Protection Guideline for Industrial Activities

The Netherlands Soil Protection Guideline for Industrial Activities (NRB) has been confirmed at administrative level by the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment/Directorate General for the Environment (VROM/DGM), the Union of Water Boards, the Association of Provinces and the Association of Netherlands Municipalities within the Soil Steering Party (Stubo). Hence the NRB has the status of a harmonising tool for assessing the need and reasonableness of soil protection measures and facilities.

Despite having no formal legal status as a tool wich has been confirmed at administrative level, te NRB still has a powerful steering function. However the NRB is not legally binding. The NRB only becomes legally binding once it has been converted into conditions in permits or general administrative orders. Deviations from it may be approved provided they are clearly motivated, for example in the preamble to the environmental permit, and taking equality before the law into account. Application of the NRB is therefore not optional.

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