Protect soil from pollution with hard or liquid-proof floor

Do you work with polluting liquid or other substances that can get into the soil or groundwater? If so, you must take measures that protect the soil from pollution.

Floors to protect the soil

You protect the soil with a form of soil protection (in Dutch). These can be floors, surfaces, or drip trays that prevent pollutants from entering the soil in case of spills and leaks. These forms of protection prevent soil contamination.

There are different types of floors or surfaces:

• An liquid-proof floor or surface that prevents substances from entering the soil. Even with leaks that last a long time.
• A continuous floor, for example of asphalt, concrete, or tiles, where the seams are sealed. This floor holds back spills or leaks long enough for them to be cleaned up before they get into the soil.
• A floor made up of loose components with open seams such as stelcon plates or tiles (element floor facility). This type of surface is not suitable for watery liquids.
• A drip tray. The capacity of a drip tray must be large enough to catch the liquids.

The requirements for these floors can be found in the Environmental Activities Decree (in Dutch).

You can consult the Foundation for infrastructure quality control in soil management's (Stichting Infrastructuur Kwaliteitsborging Bodembeheer, SIKB) soil protection guide (pdf) to determine which type of floor you need and which other measures you can take.

Inspection of soil-protective floors

You must have the floor or special surface inspected by a recognised company (in Dutch). The inspection must be carried out in accordance with the protocols of AS SIKB 6700 (in Dutch). The inspection must be done after you have laid the floor and then at least once every 6 years. Has a company laid the floors in accordance with assessment guideline BRL SIKB 7700 (in Dutch)? Then you only need to have them inspected after 6 years.

Keeping a log book

You must keep information about the floors in a digital or paper log book. This includes:

• inspections
• assessments
• maintenance
• repairs

The competent authority can check your compliance with the rules. Municipalities and provinces decide how often they do so.

Duty of care to protect the soil

In addition to the general rules in the Environmental Activities Decree (Besluit activiteiten leefomgeving, Bal), you also have a duty of care (in Dutch) to protect the soil. As a result you are required to, among other things:

• clean up leaked and spilt liquids
• empty drip trays in time
• repair leaks
• clean and repair filters and equipment

The specific duty of care also includes that you do not carry out certain actions, if this would prevent damage to the soil.

Check if you need an environment and planning permit and apply

You have to report environmentally harmful activities on or in the soil. Sometimes you also need an environment and planning permit (omgevingsvergunning).

Do you want to know whether you need an environment and planning permit? Or whether you need to file a notification? Go to the online service counter Omgevingsloket (in Dutch) and check if you need an environment and planning permit. The Omgevingsloket shows which rules apply in your municipality, province, or water authority. And you can directly apply for a permit or file a report.