Working with building materials, soil, and dredging spoil

Are you going to work with building materials, soil, or dredging spoil? For example, because you are working on a housing development site, noise barrier, or recreational area? These activities may be harmful to the environment. That is why you have to comply with a number of rules.

Reporting and information obligation

Are you going to work with building materials, soil, or dredging spoil (all in Dutch)? Or do you want to store soil or dredging spoil? In most cases you must submit a notification (duty to report) via the Environment and Planning Portal Omgevingsloket (in Dutch). You usually also have to provide information (duty to provide information).

Reporting and information obligation for working with building materials

If you want to work with building materials such as concrete, bitumen, roof tiles, and bricks, you do not have to provide information or report this via the Environment and Planning Portal (in Dutch). If your building project involves the use of incineration bottom ash and immobilised waste material (in Dutch) you must provide information via the Environment and Planning Portal at least 4 weeks before starting the work. For other building materials, the municipality can include the duty to report or the information obligation in the environment plan. Check the rules for your building materials in the Environment and Planning Portal (in Dutch).

Reporting and information obligation for working with soil or dredging spoil

If you are going to work with soil or dredging spoil (in Dutch) on the soil or in surface water, you must usually report this through the Environment and Planning Portal (in Dutch). In most cases you must also provide information about each batch of soil via the Environment and Planning Portal. You usually have to report and provide information 1 week before starting the work, but you may have to report and provide information 4 weeks before starting the work. There are exceptions (in Dutch), for example, for smaller quantities or for growing crops.

Note: The Environment and Planning Portal has replaced the Soil Quality Reporting Centre (meldpunt bodemkwaliteit). Do you plan to apply soil and dredging spoil in deep water? Up to 1 January 2027 you must report this to the Soil Quality Reporting Centre (in Dutch). You can also view your old reports there.

Reporting and information obligation for storing soil or dredging spoil

Before you store soil or dredging spoil, you usually have to report and provide information via the Environment and Planning Portal (in Dutch). It depends on the degree of contamination whether you also need an environment and planning permit. Go to the Environment and Planning Portal to find out what you must do and then you can immediately report, provide information, or apply for a permit.

Environmental soil statement

You must demonstrate the quality of building materials, soil, and dredging spoil with an environmental soil quality statement (milieuverklaring bodemkwaliteit, in Dutch), previously the environmental health statement (milieuhygiënische verklaring). For building materials, you must also have a delivery note (afleverbon, in Dutch). You must keep these documents for 5 years.

Please note: The Netherlands has different requirements for building materials, soil and dredging spoil than other EU member states. If specific building materials, soil and dredging spoil have been permitted in another EU member state, then the government may only prohibit their sale in the Netherlands in some cases.

Processing contaminated soil and dredging spoil

Are you going to process contaminated soil or dredging spoil? Then you must be certified under assessment guideline BRL SIKB 7500 (in Dutch).

Are you going to combine different batches of soil or dredging spoil? Then you must be certified under assessment guideline BRL 9335 (in Dutch).

In order to be certified, you have to apply for a certificate (in Dutch) from a certification authority. This way you can show that you work in accordance with a quality system, the assessment guideline, and the underlying protocols. With this certificate you then apply for BRL approval from Rijkswaterstaat (in Dutch). Your organisation can then be found via the approved organisations search menu (in Dutch).

If you hire a specialised company to process contaminated soil or dredging spoil, or combine different batches of soil or dredging spoil, you must make sure you hire a certified company. You can find a certified company via the approved organisations search menu (in Dutch).

Where to find all the rules on building materials, soil, and dredging spoil

The rules for working with building materials, soil, or dredging spoil can be found in various sources:

• The rules on determining quality and the quality requirements are in the Soil Quality Decree (Besluit bodemkwaliteit, in Dutch) and the Soil Quality Regulations 2022 (Regeling bodemkwaliteit 2022, in Dutch).
• The rules on the scope, substance, and the rules on the reporting obligation are in the Environmental Activities Decree (Besluit activiteiten leefomgeving, Bal, in Dutch).
• Additional rules are also listed in the environment and planning permit that has been granted to you.

You can check the local rules that apply to a specific location in the Environment and Planning Portal Rules on the map tool (in Dutch).

Environment and planning permit application and permit check

Do you want to know whether you need an environment and planning permit? Or whether you need to submit a notification? Go to the Environment and Planning Portal (in Dutch) and do the permit check. The Environment and Planning Portal shows you which rules apply in your municipality, province or water authority. And you can directly apply for a permit or submit a notification.

Online application procedure via Message Box

Message Box has not yet been linked to the Environment and Planning Portal. This means that you cannot report or provide information on working with building materials, soil, or dredging spoil using the Message Box. The Message Box is a secure e-mail system that enables you as an entrepreneur to exchange digital messages with Dutch government agencies.