About

The New York City Mayor’s Office of Environmental Remediation (OER) is a team of scientists and engineers that design and operate programs to promote the cleanup and redevelopment of underutilized and contaminated land in NYC. Through the NYC Voluntary Cleanup Program, the nation’s only full service municipally-run land cleanup program, OER prepares vacant, underutilized properties for redevelopment.

Over 900 properties have been remediated through OER’s programs, and in the process, over 490 acres of new developable land has been created.

In addition, OER has established the NYC Clean Soil Bank, a municipal clean soil exchange that recovers clean, native soil from deep excavations at construction sites and redirects it to the City’s Forbell Street stockpile, public and private NYC construction sites, and community and school gardens. Since its inception, the Clean Soil Bank has transferred over 600,000 tons of clean, native soil.

OER also plays other important roles. Through the E-Designation Program, we ensure compliance with environmental standards before new buildings are erected on rezoned land. And OER provides resources to community-based organizations to support their efforts to plan the future of their neighborhoods.

At OER, we are proud to serve the residents of New York City, to work with you in the cleanup of vacant land, and make our city a safer place to live, work, and play.