Ecological Justice
Open Buffalo Releases Official East Side Soil Project Report (2026)
Published March 31, 2026
Today, after months of community outreach, analysis, and research, Open Buffalo is proud to release its East Side Soil Project Report. (2026)
Open Buffalo's East Side Soil Project began in 2023, when we worked with residents and local activists to address concerns regarding widely publicized contamination on and potentially around the former General Motors plant on East Delavan Avenue. Although our testing did not find elevated levels of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), as originally feared, we discovered that more than half of the 40 residential properties tested had levels of lead soil contamination that exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency's guidelines for unrestricted use (i.e., safe for vegetable gardening and children's play areas).
We subsequently received funding from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to conduct lead soil testing in specific neighborhoods on the East Side. The report published here presents the findings from 138 residential properties tested from June 2025 to October 2025, which yielded 249 samples. It includes soil analysis findings as well as recommendations that can improve the lives and outlook of thousands of residents.
Open Buffalo is profoundly appreciative of the trust placed in us by our East Side neighbors who participated in this study and indebted to the hard work and vision of community activists, such as Virginia Golden, for bringing public attention to these and other environmental challenges facing East Side residents.