Plans to allow the dumping of polluted river and estuary silt into clean lakes have been halted by environment minister Jacqueline Cramer, the Volkskrant reports on Tuesday.

The minister has given a new committee two months to decide if extra measures are needed to protect surface and ground water.
Researchers say that the dumping of silt containing heavy metals and chemicals such as toxic PCBs is a risk to clean water.
In 2008 the level of pollutants allowed in silt was increased to a maximum 5%, the paper says.