OVAM is the Public Waste Agency of Flanders and is responsible for waste management and soil remediation in Flanders. It is a public Flemish Institution (1981) covering waste management and prevention. Including waste removal and soil remediation. In 1995 Flanders got a more specific legislation on soil remediation, the soil remediation decree. The Flemish Minister of Environment is responsible for waste management in Flanders.

OVAM works out and implements its policy. The soil remediation decree provides the Flemish government with a powerful instrument to fight historical and recent soil pollution. One of its objectives it to remediate historical soil pollution within a period of 40 years. The soil remediation decree also offers a range of possibilities to prevent new soil pollution. Or to remediate right away.

The Flemish region is responsible for environmental policy. The competent minister counts on a number of institutions for the preparation and implementation of that policy. OVAM is one of those institutions. The Flemish Government has outlined a course to adapt relations between the government, citizens and companies tot the modern-day challenges. All this under the slogan ‘Better Regulation Policy’. This resulted in a first management agreement for OVAM for the period 2008-2010.

 

Read more about OVAM: www.ovam.be