The review will consider type and impact of crimes committed, how the Environment Agency can tackle the threat and also make recommendations for a new strategic approach.
It will be chaired by Lizzie Noel, a Non-Executive Director at Defra.
More than 850 new illegal waste sites were discovered by the Environment Agency in 2016-17.
Approximately two illegal waste sites are shut down every day, yet they continue to create problems for local communities and business, particularly in rural areas and pose a risk to key national infrastructure.
Their activity cost the economy more than £600m in 2015.
Gove said: “We must crack-down on these criminals who have no regard for the impact they have on people’s lives.
The time is right for us to look at how we can best tackle these antisocial and inexcusable crimes.”
The review is due to be completed by September 2018.