It reads like a political thriller: a large natural lake, tons of controversial waste, senior officials relaxing the rules, and a years-long legal battle against journalism. The Zembla investigative report on the dumping of granulite in natural lake ‘Over de Maas’ exposes a painful file on the relationship between the business community and the government.
What exactly is granulite?
The core of the conflict revolves around granulite, a residual product from the crushed stone industry. According to producer Bontrup (via subsidiary GIB), it is a useful raw material. However, environmental experts and former environmental prosecutor Gustaaf Biezeveld stated in the broadcast that, according to the law, it is not ‘soil’ at all, but waste.
The difference is crucial: much stricter rules apply to waste than to soil. By designating it as soil, the material could be dumped cheaply and on a large scale in the Gelderland nature.
The role of Rijkswaterstaat and Halbe Zijlstra
Zembla reconstructs in the video how senior officials from Rijkswaterstaat played a remarkable role. Despite warnings from their own advisors about the harmful consequences for people and the environment, the way seemed to be cleared for the waste dumping.
The name of former minister Halbe Zijlstra, who became a lobbyist for the company involved after his political career, is also mentioned. The broadcast investigates what influence these political connections have had on the decision-making surrounding the natural lake.
A years-long legal battle
After the original broadcast in 2020, the company did not let it rest. There followed a legal battle of almost six years against Zembla and the interviewed experts.
- In 2022, the court ruled that Zembla had to rectify.
- In 2024, this was overturned on appeal.
- In October 2025, the Supreme Court definitively ruled that Zembla’s publications were lawful.