Purpose: The following environmental programs are designed to ensure that the provisions set forth during rezoning actions are implemented to avoid significant adverse impacts to human health or the environment through exposure to potential hazardous materials, unwanted sound on sensitive noise receptors, and mobile or stationary pollutants in ambient air quality.

ABOUT

What is an E-Designation?

An E-Designation is a NYC zoning map designation that indicates the presence of an environmental requirement pertaining to potential Hazardous Materials Contamination, Window/Wall Noise Attenuation, or Air Quality impacts on a particular tax lot. E-Designations are established on the Zoning Map by the Department of City Planning (DCP) and City Council as a part of a zoning change/action.

E-Designation Environmental Review Program

The NYC E-Designation Environmental Review Program for Hazardous Materials, Air Quality, and Window/Wall Noise Attenuation is administered by the NYC Office of Environmental Remediation (OER). The program was formerly administered by the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). 

What is a Restrictive Declaration?

A Lead City Agency may accept the recording of a Restrictive Declaration (RD) as an Institutional Control on a property in order to allow a zoning/variance action to be certified. The RD acts by binding the owner to investigate and remediate after the zoning/variance action is certified.

Restrictive Declaration Environmental Review Program

Recorded RDs are also reviewed by OER. The institutional control mechanisms for both the E-Designation and RD programs have equivalent investigation and remedial requirements.

SUBMISSIONS

Digital Submission of Documents

In order to expedite document reviews, OER requests that applicants electronically format all submittals related to an E-Designation or RD project on a CD. Submittals should include all identifying project information, including a project submittal cover sheet with the OER Project #, DEP Project #  (for projects previously administered by DEP only), E-Designation number (E-111), project name, address, Tax Block and Lot Numbers, Community District, and a primary contact for the applicant, consultant, engineer, architect, etc.

Project Submittal Cover Sheet

Project submittal cover sheets must be submitted via hard copy as well as digitally on the CD.

Download the Project Submittal Cover Sheet

Download the Project Submittal Cover Sheet Instructions

Blank forms may be saved in Adobe Reader.
Completed forms must be saved in Adobe Acrobat Professional.

Formatting of Documents Submitted to OER

Documents will be stored by OER in a digital archive. OER will store each document or plan as a separate file. To facilitate this, each report/article must be submitted as a separate digital document (preferably PDF) on a CD. For example, a Phase II Work Plan (Phase II) should be accompanied by a separate document containing the site-specific Health and Safety Plan.

If documents are being submitted with appendices containing other documentation previously created for the project, please create a place-holder page for the respective Appendix and submit the earlier documentation as a separate document(s). For example, if a Remedial Action Plan (RAP) is being submitted with an appendix that contains a prior Phase II Work Plan, the RAP should be submitted with an appendix page labeled ‘Appendix B. Phase II Work Plan August 12, 2010,’ and the Phase II Work Plan should be included as a separate (PDF) document. 

All document files must be named according to the naming convention established below, which identifies the site address/project number, date of report, and report/article type. This formatting applies to both E-designation and RD sites for Hazardous Materials, Air Quality, and Window/Wall Noise Attenuation submissions.

Examples
New projects:
123_New_York_Street_August_12_2010_Phase_II_Work_Plan

Existing projects:
10EHAZ000M_August_12_2010_Phase_II_Work_Plan

E-Designation and/or RD projects previously reviewed by NYCDEP

To facilitate review of existing projects previously reviewed by NYCDEP (including only those with a DEP Project #) please re-submit to OER, following our digital submission guidelines, all project documentation previously submitted to NYCDEP. This project documentation includes electronic copies of certified project description, site plans, Lead Agency CEQR determination requirements for window/wall attenuation level(s), testing, stack setback, fuel restriction, etc. and specifications for the proposed development action, as well as Phase I, Phase II Workplan/HASP, RAP/CHASP, Noise Studies, P.E./R.A. certified Remedial Closure or Installation Reports, DEP comment/approval letters, Notices, etc.

Certification of Documents Submitted to OER

For project elements requiring certification (stamp and signature) by a New York State Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) or Registered Architect (RA), applicants must do the following:

1. Include scans of stamped and signed elements, and
2. Include a hard copy of the cover sheet with the original stamp and signature, for the respective stamps and signatures in the digital submission.

OER requires the original stamp and signature for all certified elements.

Review Time

OER reserves 30 days for review of all submissions.

Appointments with OER Staff

Meeting requests will be accommodated by appointment only. Walk-in appointments will not be accepted.

OER prefers to be contacted directly by the applicant of the project or their environmental consultant, engineer, or architect. Please, no expediters.

Where to Send Submissions

All E-Designation and RD related mailings and deliveries should be sent to the following address:

Office of Environmental Remediation
Mayor’s Office of Operations
E-Designation Program
c/o Dan Cole, Bureau Chief
100 Gold Street, 2nd Floor
New York, NY  10038

• All E-Designation related mailings and deliveries will not be accepted at other addresses.
• Individuals making hand deliveries to the above address must pass through a security check prior to delivering documents to the 2^nd Floor. There may be wait times at the security check.
• A record of delivery can be obtained via courier service. OER does not provide independent receipt of submittal confirmation. 

Your attention to these guidelines will greatly expedite your project review.

CONTACT US

If you have a question regarding the E-Designation or Restrictive Declaration  programs or a project submission, email us at edesignation@dep.nyc.gov or call the OER general line at 212-788-8841.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

NYC Department of City Planning

To see answers to frequently asked questions, click here.

To access the full list of adopted E-Designations, searchable by Tax Block and Lot Number, click here.

If you do not know your Tax Block and Lot number, you can retrieve them using the GeoQuery Address Translator.

NYC Department of Finance

To obtain specific property information and/or a copy of a  Recorded Restrictive Declaration on a specific Tax Block and Lot, visit the Department of Finance website for the ACRIS online city register, click here.

NYC Department of Buildings

To access your property profile information from the Buildings Information System (BIS), click here.