We dug a foundation for a new building a couple of years ago.  The soil was tested and was found to have sufficient lead and arsenic contamination that we had to pay to have the soil disposed of as hazardous waste rather than be able to send it to a landfill.  We're putting up another building and will need to dig another hole, though not near so big as before.  The new hole is near the old, so it is extremely likely that this soil will be contaminated as well.  (Please note that this contamination came with the soil when we bought the property - we have not spilled anything.)

 My question is this:  Once we've dug the hole, is it legal to use the soil onsite to enhance landscaping (i.e. create a birm) rather than dispose of it as hazardous waste?

Thanks for your help.

Todd

Hi Todd,

 Although I believe the regulations for benefical use of contaminated soil vary from state to state, I think that you may be able to use the contaminated soil onsite for landscaping, but will have to remediate it onsite in order to do so. Contact a remediation specialist to find out more, i.e. what contaminants are in your soil and the cost effectiveness of remediation vs. disposal.

Hope that helps!

Thanks for your response!

Todd