PUREsoil NYC

PUREsoil NYC is a new program from the Mayor's Office of Environmental Remediation that makes clean soil available to community-based organizations to improve the quality of degraded soil in NYC. PUREsoil can also be used to build new gardens at publicly accessible sites and to replace existing soil in community gardens.

To receive PUREsoil, a community-based organization must have control of a secure site, accessible to a dump truck, which is at least 15 feet long by 15 feet wide. Such a space is large enough to receive 20 cubic yards of soil, the smallest soil delivery OER currently offers. In addition, the community-based organization must have the capacity to manage the soil and distribute it within the neighborhood.

Soil from the PUREsoil NYC Program comes from deep excavations at construction sites across the city. It is delivered free of charge to community-based organizations. The soil, derived from the NYC Clean Soil Bank, was deposited by the glaciers more than 10,000 years ago and is chemically pure.

For PUREsoil to be used for gardening, it must be mixed with compost or some other amendment and nutrient source. Because it comes from so deep down, the soil, technically sediment, does not contain natural organic matter or plant nutrients that emerge during soil formation.

If a community organization in the five boroughs is interested in receiving a delivery of PUREsoil or learning more about the program, contact OER.