Clean Soil Bank - OER

Office of Environmental Remediation


Clean Soil Bank

Clean Soil Bank
Forbell Street Stockpile
Topsoil For Community & School Gardens
Green Property Certification
Environmental Tax Lien Properties

Clean Soil Bank

Forbell Street Stockpile

Topsoil For Community & School Gardens

Green Property Certification

Environmental Tax Lien Properties


NYC Clean Soil Bank

The NYC Clean Soil Bank (CSB) recovers clean, native soil from deep excavations at construction sites and redirects it to the City’s Forbell stockpile and to NYC construction sites, both public and private, and to community and school gardens. In eight years, the Soil Bank has made more than 600,000 tons of clean soil available to projects across New York City.
Soil moves through the Soil Bank at minimal cost. Generating sites pay to truck soil to the stockpile or to a receiving site but pay nothing for disposal. A receiving site that obtains clean soil from the City stockpile pays for trucking but the soil is free.
Recycling clean soil for reuse in the city rather than trucking it beyond the city for disposal or reuse brings environmental and financial benefits, including:

An abundant source of free clean soil for construction projects, community gardens, and stormwater protection projects;

Fewer truck miles driven and less diesel fuel consumed; and

Reduced greenhouse gas from the construction industry

Visit OER Community to learn more about how the CSB advances resiliency.

Eligible Sites

A potential generating site must show OER that its clean, native soil meets the lower of New York State’s residential soil standard and its protection of groundwater standard found at 6 NYCRR Part 375-6.8(b).
Receiving sites include City expense and capital projects, private construction projects, and community and school gardens.

Beneficial Use Determination (BUD)

Once OER determines a generating site has clean soil, the eligible soil receives a Beneficial Use Determination that allows the soil to move in commerce as a commodity to an appropriate use. Specifically, the soil is removed from regulation as a solid waste.
OER’s Memorandum of Agreement with DEC dated Oct. 1, 2020 states that “DEC … agrees that soils cease being regulated as solid waste pursuant to 6 NYCRR Part 360 when characterized at the site of generation as eligible for the CSB and on arrival at OER-designated soil storage facilities or destinations of beneficial use, provided CSB notification and manifest procedures are followed for all CSB soil transfers…” (emphasis added).

How to Apply

Parties interested in participating in the CSB should fill out a soil availability or soil request form below and provide information about your project and schedule. Send the completed form to stockpile@oer.nyc.gov.

Clean Soil Bank Request Form
Clean Soil Bank Availability Form

If your site has clean soil that you want to offer to the CSB or stockpile, be sure to follow the Guidance on submitting Waste Characterization data to the NYC Clean Soil Bank.

600,000 tons of soil recycled

Soil recycling has shortened truck trips by 2.2 million miles

Soil recycling has reduced CO2 emissions by 4,800 metrics tons