​Central level

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management is responsible for:

• Coordinating and funding of environmental policy;
• Addressing  major national concerns including acidification; climate change; eutrophication; dispersion of toxic substances; waste disposal; groundwater depletion; and squandering of resources
• Functioning as the emission authority.
• Supervising the administrative procedures under the Dutch Environmental Management Act.
• Co-ordinating the environmental impact assessments and permits for spatial planning, including maritime waters. (together with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy)

Responsible ministries/bodies

Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management 

Regional level

Regional authorities are responsible for:

• Spatial planning at municipal level (structure vision);
• Establishing regional legislation on environmental protection (including groundwater protection and noise nuisances);
• Implementing environmental policy;
• Addressing major regional concerns including acidification; eutrophication; dispersion of toxic substances waste disposal; groundwater depletion; water collection, energy saving
• Protecting and cleaning of the soil;
• Partial controlling over water supply. (under the water law of 2009, part of the province's tasks was allocated to the water boards);
• Supervising the works of constituent municipalities;
• Supervising the environmental police;
• Granting environmental permits and licences (jointly with the water board and the municipalities).

Responsible ministries/bodies

Provinces

Local level

Local authorities are responsible for:

• Spatial planning at municipal level (structure vision and allocation plans);
• Implementing environmental policy;
• Major local concerns including acidification; waste disposal; local nuisances; groundwater depletion; energy saving; sewerage; waste management; recycling;
• Enforcing environmental measures;
• Providing an environmental Police;
• Assessing for polluting companies;
• Granting environmental permits with the Water Board;
• Implementing programmes to punish and prevent pollution;
• Overseeing the transportation of dangerous substances;
• Protecting and cleaning of the soil;
• Water (including flood control, irrigation and drainage, municipal waste water purification, and water quality). They are the oldest governing bodies of the Netherlands, preceding the central state. 

Waterboards (decentralised public authorities) are responsible for

• water management in the country – e.g. flood control, irrigation and drainage or municipal waste water purification;
• water barriers, dams, pumping stations, river dikes and canals.

Responsible ministries/bodies

•  Municipalities
• Waterboards

Sources

Carriage of Dangerous Goods Act - Wet vervoer gevaarlijke stoffen (as of 01.04.2015)

Convenant Bodemontwikkelingsbeleid en aanpak spoedlocaties

Environmental Act - Wet algemene bepalingen omgevingsrecht (as of 01.07.2016)

Environmental Conservation Act - Milieubeheer (as of 01.07.2016)

Municipal law - Gemeentewet

Rijksoverheid

Soil Protection Act - Wet Bodembescherming (as of 22.03.2012), Spatial Planning Act - Wet ruimtelijke ordening (as of 14.04.2016)

Water Act - Waterwet (as of 01.07.2016)