Public Records Requests and File Reviews
Under Ohio’s public records law, citizens have the right to view upon request the public records of offices such as Ohio EPA. Ohio’s public records law should not be confused with the Federal Freedom of Information Act, which applies to records held by federal agencies. Ohio EPA does not have a central repository for all its records. Each division within Ohio EPA and each of the five district offices houses its own files.
Therefore, more than one office may need to be contacted to obtain all applicable files on a particular issue or site. The Procedures for Public Records Requests and File Reviews fact sheet explains Ohio EPA’s file review process in more detail.
For more information about Ohio’s public records law, you may review Ohio Revised Code 149.43 at http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/149.43.
Ohio EPA’s Copying Charge
The charge for copies is five cents per page. As a courtesy, Ohio EPA may waive the charges if fewer than 250 copies are made. Ohio EPA reserves the right to deny this courtesy if a requester asks for fewer than 250 pages of a single document that exceeds 250 pages or where a requester repeatedly requests copies under the 250-page limit in an effort to avoid copying charges. The charge for copying more than 250 pages is five cents a page, which includes pages 1 through 250. A two-sided copy counts as two pages.
Each district office has specific copying procedures. Click on the appropriate district below to see these procedures.
What Information is Needed to Begin?
In order to better identify, locate and track the file(s) being requested, Ohio EPA suggests all requests for public records or file reviews be submitted in writing. When making a request, include as much of the information below as possible:
- name of the facility/company;
- address;
- city/township;
- county;
- I.D. number (if known/applicable);
- 8-1/2 x 11 map, if applicable;
- type of information you are looking for (for example, hazardous waste, air pollution); and
- your name, address and phone number
Once your request is received, it is routed to the appropriate program offices to secure files. Once the files are located, you will be contacted to set up a convenient time for you to review the files.
File Review Contacts
The best initial contact for your file review request is the district office where the facility or site is located. To locate the appropriate office, please see the map below. If you wish to review Agency files on a matter involving more than one division or district office, or are uncertain as to where the facility is located, please send your request to Rich Bouder, Ohio EPA’s public records manager, by e-mail at richard.bouder@epa.state.oh.us or phone at (614) 644-2782.
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