The province of Noord-Holland must re-examine the pollution restrictions imposed on the Corus steel works in IJmuiden in 2007, the Council of State said on Wednesday.

The Council, the country’s highest appeal body, said that some pollution levels had been set too low and no emission limits at all were set for a number of heavy metals such as chromium.
In addition, the province has been told to research the effect of burning waste material at the plant and using special filters on heavy metal concentrations. Noord-Holland has been given five months to get the paperwork in order.
A number of environmental organisations and local councils had appealed against the new operating licence when it was granted in 2007.
The ruling comes just weeks after a Zembla tv programme claimed children living close to Corus had up to 14 times higher levels of chromium and other metals in their system than normal. The environment ministry has set up an inquiry into the claims.
Corus said in a statement it was studying the Council’s ruling in detail.