Dutch Cabinet moves toward conditional ban on steel slag use over safety concerns

The Dutch cabinet is moving toward sharply restricting the use of steel slag, an industrial byproduct widely used in construction, allowing it only when it can be proven safe for people and the environment. The policy would apply to both land and water and could take effect no earlier than the summer of next year.

State Secretary Annet Bertram informed the Tweede Kamer on Friday that the government would issue permits only under strict safety conditions. “A ban with exceptions, based on current knowledge, seems at this moment the best course,” Bertram stated.

Steel slag, a residual product of steel production, is used in road construction and to reinforce dikes, but the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment has warned that it can contain hazardous substances that may leach into the soil through rainfall. Tata Steel, for example, produces about 650,000 tons of steel slag per year.

Restrictions on the use of steel slag on land have been in place since last summer as a temporary measure. In April, Bertram extended the restriction by six months to early next year, pending research from the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment. A final decision is expected by the end of this year.

Bertram said a complete ban is not being considered. She said she takes concerns about the material “very seriously" but also stressed its role as an alternative during raw material shortages. “At the same time, steel slag is an important alternative in times of raw material scarcity; I do not want to discard it completely,” she said.

Local authorities would continue to decide whether permits are granted. Municipalities, provinces, and Rijkswaterstaat would also be allowed to attach conditions to the use of steel slag. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management will reportedly issue a guidance manual to help authorities assess whether specific applications can be carried out safely for people and the environment.