Soils Testing

 
 

NYC Urban Soils Institute offers individual soil testing packages for home and community gardeners, as well as more specialized soil & environmental site assessments from our experienced team of environmental scientists. To learn which service is appropriate for your needs, see below.

Announcement (1/10/2022): Due to a backlog of samples (dang Covid), mail-in soil testing services are currently suspended. If you have already placed an order, we will test your sample as soon as we can, or you can reach out to us directly through our contact form.

**However… we are doing FREE in-person soil testing workshops once a month at Swale House on Governors Island. We’d love to see you there.**

Please check back soon for an update. We apologize for the inconvenience.

 

Soils Testing Packages

You might be interested in soils testing packages if:

  • You are interested in testing your soils for heavy metals, nutrients, pH, salinity and/or soils texture for a particular site, such as a home or community garden

  • If remediation efforts are necessary, you are comfortable with performing the remediation yourself based on recommendations, or engaging on your own with a reputable third-party to perform the remediation

  • A standard soil report (included in all soil testing packages) would be sufficient in identifying the scope of the problem and recommended solutions to your particular soil health concerns

Each soil testing package includes a detailed report of the test results, as well as a description of the scope of the problem (if one exists) and recommended solutions to how to improve the quality of the soil and/or remediate heavy metal contamination. Please note: USI does not test for organic contaminants such as petroleum-derived hydrocarbons, VOCs, pesticides/herbicides, PAHs, and others.

Environmental Site Assistance

You Might Be Interested in Environmental Site Assistance If:

  • You have soil/environmental issues on your site whose cause is unidentified and you require a site visit to help determine the cause

  • You have an identified environmental concern on your site that requires a site visit to determine the best course of action from a remediation standpoint, as well as large scale sampling and testing

  • You are unsure if contamination is present on your site, but require on-site assistance to make a determination before engaging in construction in order to meet regulatory due diligence

  • You require comprehensive remediation assistance, including engagement with third-party laboratories and remediation services

  • You require a comprehensive report that includes site conditions, testing services performed, site maps, recommendations & other documentation

All environmental site assistance projects involve site visits by USI staff scientists & engineers. We offer a complementary consultation to determine if environmental site assistance is appropriate for your project by phone or email.

Please note: USI is not a licensed environmental consultant or laboratory. Our findings are based on the cumulative decades of experience of our staff scientists and engineers, however they cannot be used as legally-binding documentation for municipal, state or federal permitting & reporting requirements.

If you are interested in Environmental Site Assistance services, please fill out the form below and we will reach out to you