Non-Hazardous/Petroleum Contaminated Soil

All soil that comes from public, government, commercial, or industrial sites will be treated as potentially contaminated until it has been properly tested and confirmed to be clean. Any contaminated soil project originating in Madison County being considered for disposal must be considered by Madison County Department of Solid Waste before taking it out-of-county. Any request or application to use soil as landfill cover or to dispose of it in a non-hazardous landfill will be reviewed based on a laboratory analysis.

Out-of-county soils are accepted and must follow the same process outlined below. In-county projects will be given priority for cover material as the Department has volume thresholds for what can be accepted as cover material. 

Analytical Requirements

If the soil is the result of a spill and has a Virgin Spill Letter from the DEC, then the material is exempted from testing requirements. If this is the case, the Virgin Spill Letter and a completed Soil Profile Sheet will need to be completed and sent to sw@madisoncounty.ny.gov. 

If the project has no Virgin Spill Letter, then the soil must be tested for:

  • Full TCLP
  • Extractable Petroleum Hydrocarbons
  • PCBs
  • RCRA Characteristics
  • Percent Volatile Solids

Soils with tests positive for PCBs and heavy metals may be rejected and recommended for disposal at a different facility. 

Specific testing protocols can be found on the Department's Testing Protocol Document.

Sampling Frequency Requirements

Volume of Soil (Cubic Yards)Sampling Frequency
1 - 991 sample
100 - 4991 sample per 100 cubic yards
500 - 49991 sample per 250 cubic yards
>50001 sample per 500 cubic yards

What to Submit for Review

Send a completed Soil Profile Sheet and lab analysis (or Virgin Spill Letter if applicable) to sw@madisoncounty.ny.gov

If the material is approved as cover material, it will be charged at the 'Non-Hazardous Soil Appropriate for use as Landfill Cover' rate as described on our Landfill and Transfer Stations Fee Schedule.

The material will need to be brought in by a permitted hauler. This ensures that basic insurance requirements are met and environmental controls are in place. A list of permitted haulers can be found under Hauler Information as well as Permit Requirements. 

Additional questions can be answered by emailing sw@madisoncounty.ny.gov or calling our office at (315) 361-8408.