The excavation, transport and re-use (or disposal) of soil can be complicated, particularly if there is oil or hazardous material discovered in the dirt.
There is no single program at MassDEP that regulates all aspects of soil management. The rules that apply will depend upon the facts unique to your problem. In fact, most excavation and re-use of soil occurs without MassDEP involvement.
The Department's interest in soil can arise in two ways. First - and most commonly - contamination is found in the soil. The contamination may trigger regulatory action, depending on the nature of what is found. A typical example would be a leaking underground storage tank that releases gasoline to the surrounding soil.
The Department also has interest in soil that is brought to any facility already regulated by MassDEP. A typical example is soil used as daily cover at an operating landfill.
