In this section you will find a list of the members of the Spill Response Group Holland. You can either search by name, alphabeth or category. Do you want to join us as well? Please fill out the form here.
Rijkswaterstaat is part of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment and responsible for the execution of safe and clean watermanagement. The Ministry is committed to improving quality of life, access and mobility in a clean, safe and sustainable environment. The Ministry strives to create an efficient network of roads, railways, waterways and airways, effective water management to protect against flooding, and improved air and water quality.
Rijkswaterstaat is part of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment and responsible for the design, construction, management and maintenance of the main infrastructure facilities in the Netherlands. This includes the highway network, the waterway network and the main water system. Dry feet, sufficient clean water and reliable and useful information for the main water system is what integrated water management means to Rijkswaterstaat. Smooth and safe transport by water are other ways of using water.
The Dutch waterways are the densest for inland shipping in Europe. About 6000 kilometres of rivers and canals, many of the latter serving drainage as well as navigation, form a complex system serving all parts of the country. Also the Dutch part of the North Sea is one of the densest seas with shipping, offshore en wind energy in the world.
Every day, many ships, including tankers, sail on Dutch waters. These ships and tankers transport a range of products, which include mineral oils, vegetable oils and chemicals. As a consequence of accidents during transport, bunker operations and transhipment of cargo in ports, large quantities of these products can pollute the surface water. This contamination can result in serious ecological and/or economical damage and must be contained and recovered, as rapidly as possible, when necessary. The largest proportion of floating pollution registered on Dutch waters is made up of mineral oils. Every year some 1000 spills (ranging between liters and tons) are reported of which 90 spills must be contained with (absorbent) booms and/or recovered by skimmers or sweeping systems.
The responsibility and execution for accidental oil and chemical pollution on Dutch waters comes under Rijkswaterstaat. Based on risks and effects, Rijkswaterstaat has prepared itself by plans, organisation and resources (ships, planes, booms, skimmers, absorbents etc.) to deal with this pollution. As national organisation Rijkswaterstaat can scale-up with resources and organisation to deal with small and large spills within the country. Rijkswaterstaat uses own resources and resources of private contractors. Preparation and operations are organised in close corporation with police, fire brigades, ambulance organisation, communities, port authorities, water boards and the coastguard organisation.
Rijkswaterstaat is an associated member of the Spill Response Group Holland.
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