Nijmegen environmental service reported faulty

The Environment Agency for the Region of Nijmegen (ODRN) did not report to what extent the permits were up to date and whether the ODRN inspected the companies most harmful to the environment (establishment type C) in less than once a year. This emerges from the Nijmegen Joint Research Collaboration – ODRN type C institutions of the Berenschot firm.

never packed

Neither the investigation nor the press release of the Municipality of Nijmegen regarding the investigation refer to errors in the supervision of the APN asphalt plant. Last year, it turned out that this monitoring was insufficient. “It had been clear for years that the factory had to take measures against odors and the emission of harmful substances. The environmental department and the factory discussed it, but it was never addressed,” Alderman Wijnia said about it in De Gelderlander of November 29, 2021. “I dare not say exactly where it went wrong. Is the management of the municipality not good, are finances too tight, are there too few well-trained staff? An external agency will now investigate this.

Optimization possibilities

This external agency, Berenschot, no longer cites failing supervision as a reason for the investigation, but that an “image has emerged that the municipality and the ODRN should be better ‘in control’ when carrying out a framework safe and healthy way of life for the inhabitants.’ Hence the mission to investigate “how the licensing, supervision and enforcement policy (VTH policy), commissioning and accountability process, available resources, implementation and governance fit together and work”. Berenschot had to look for “optimization options”.

Operating deficit

In the survey, Berenschot now concludes that the ODRN has evolved positively in “governance and operational management (…)”. To this end, the advice refers to three things. First, the operating deficit has been eliminated. Second, in 2020, the accountant wrote in his report that “processes within ODRN are basically in order”. And thirdly, the environmental department is working on the ODRN 2023 Operations project†

Complex and featured

This latest project should provide a solution, the researchers write, “to the bottleneck at which the ODRN currently has hundreds of products and services on which hours are written.” This has created a complex and rigid system that prevents him (sic) from responding flexibly to questions from the city or the administration.

In interviews, it was stated “that the ‘deal is a deal’ principle could be further improved”.

Not much time

Berenschot believes that “the management of production in combination with the marketing of the customer-contractor relationship still needs to be improved”. In interviews, it was stated “that the ‘deal is a deal’ principle could be further improved”. Also, because of ‘case-oriented work (…) there is little time (…) for structural reflection on implementation’ and little room to answer ‘unplanned questions’, which include apparently also APN overruns. . The Municipality of Nijmegen informed the researchers that the ODRN monitoring reports “are not suitable for a substantive assessment”.

Fragile trust

It is true that mutual relations between the ODRN and the municipality are “good”, but “at the same time, trust is fragile”. As an illustration, the researchers point to the APN problem in which “us versus them” sentiments arose. Berenschot finds it positive that “personalities from Nijmegen and ODRN (…) are going to have a ‘good conversation’ about this”.

At work

The municipalities and the ODRN, which jointly commissioned the research, “adopt the research findings” and “get to work on the recommendations”. This includes “examining further steps needed to improve current agreements”.