A government-commissioned report on the environmental impact of nuclear waste storage is so flawed it must be redone, according to an independent review, the NRC reported on Friday.

The review by the commission for environmental impact assessments (MER) said the findings were incomplete, poorly substantiated and in some cases incorrect, making it impossible to judge whether current waste management practices are safe, the paper said.

Junior environment minister Chris Jansen had commissioned the report as part of a ten-yearly review required under European rules. The findings will be used by parliament to assess the quality of decision-making around the country’s long-term nuclear waste policy.

Although the commission found no indication of immediate environmental risk, it said the report failed to properly assess the impact on soil, water and air quality.

Nuclear waste in the Netherlands comes from various sites including the nuclear power station in Borssele, the shuttered plant in Dodewaard, and research reactors in Delft and Petten. High-level waste from Borssele alone amounts to four cubic metres per year.

Responsibility for storing nuclear waste lies with COVRA, a facility in Vlissingen established in 1982 but which is still officially temporary.

Commission chairman Hans Mommaas criticised the quality of the report, telling the NRC it is hastily compiled, poorly translated from English and difficult to read.

He also said the most suitable future storage locations may already be under threat due to new development and said he was surprised that the ministry still lacks a complete overview of the amount of waste produced by individual companies. “We read that the ministry is considering mandatory registration,” he said. “We conclude that it doesn’t yet exist.”

A majority of MPs are in favour of expanding the number of nuclear power stations in the Netherlands, with Borssele in Zeeland the most likely location.