The province of Noord-Brabant does not want the Belgian metal company Nyrstar to be given a new permit to discharge chemicals in the Belgian Eindergatloop, which comes out in Dommel in Brabant. According to the province, that is harmful to nature and water quality in Brabant. Nyrstar actually wants to continue to discharge until the end of 2027, but Noord-Brabant now gives a negative advice about that.
The permit application is dealt with by the Flemish Province of Limburg, because Nyrstar is in Pelt, Belgium. Because the substances discharged in Belgium flow in, our province can also give advice on this. That is laid down in international agreements. The province investigated the application together with the De Dommel Water Board and concluded that the discharges cause too much pollution.
Gif -yarn
This mainly concerns the toxic metal thallium, which is already bringing Nyrstar into the water in small quantities. The company wants to continue with that. Companies that want to discharge waste into surface water must apply for a discharge permit for this. The permit determines which substances may be discharged and in what quantities. But those rules are less strict in Flanders than in the Netherlands. Nyrstar may therefore discharge more from the material, while the Netherlands is experiencing the negative consequences, the province says.
At the end of 2023, research showed that De Dommel does not meet the European rules for clean water. One of the causes: the discharges of Nyrstar. “With the discharges, the recovery of Waterleven and nature in the area is endangered,” says Deputy Saskia Boelema in a press release. “A negative advice is therefore necessary.”
Cooperation across the border
Noord-Brabant wants to use this situation to improve cooperation with Belgium. “We want to work together towards sustainable solutions that do justice to both economic interests and ecological values. Only through cooperation can we ensure a healthy living environment and compliance with European environmental standards,” says Boelema.
The decision is now up to the province of Limburg in Flanders, which includes the advice of Noord-Brabant in the final assessment of the permit. It is not yet known when that decision will fall.