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Public Participation
at Ohio EPA
"To protect the environment and public health by ensuring compliance with environmental laws and demonstrating leadership in environmental stewardship."
"The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is a trusted leader and environmental steward using innovation, quality service and public involvement to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all Ohioans."
Ohio EPA recognizes that its mission and vision cannot be achieved without input from Ohio citizens. The Agency places a high priority on public involvement and encourages citizens to become involved in our decision-making processes.
Public involvement efforts are designed to enable Ohioans to be a part of environmental decisions that affect their life. The Agency offers public hearings, informational meetings, media briefings, advisory board meetings, round table discussions and various publications to educate the public on environmental issues.
District Offices
Ohio EPA implements laws and regulations regarding air and water quality standards; solid, hazardous and infectious waste standards; water quality planning, supervision of sewage treatment and public drinking water supplies; and cleanup of unregulated hazardous waste sites.
 Ohio EPA's Central Office is in Columbus. To manage the Agency's programs at the local level, Ohio EPA has five district offices. Click here for contact information and directions to each of these offices.
Contact with Ohio citizens is an important responsibility of the district offices. Organizations, schools or other interested parties may contact each district office to request guest speakers. For more information, read the “Guide to the District Offices.”
Citizens may conduct file reviews regarding specific companies or sites. Ohio EPA welcomes this opportunity to help educate the public. Appointments are necessary to conduct file reviews, because requests to review files have increased dramatically in recent years. The first 250 pages copied are free. For requests to copy more than 250 pages, there is a five-cent charge for all pages. Payment is required by check or money order, made payable to Treasurer State of Ohio. For more information, read the “Procedures for Public Records Requests and File Reviews” fact sheet.
Public Interest Center
Ohio EPA's Public Interest Center (PIC) responds to inquiries from the public and the media regarding environmental issues and Agency actions. PIC has three sections: media relations, public involvement and print and electronic communications.
Media relations staff members prepare news releases pertaining to newsworthy activities within the Agency, conduct news conferences and perform other activities to keep the public informed of Agency activities through media coverage. To reach a media relations staff member, click here.
Public involvement staff members plan, develop and implement public involvement activities for all Agency programs, including community relations plans, public information sessions, public hearings, and informal roundtable discussions with citizen organizations, community leaders and other parties interested in environmental issues. Public involvement coordinators welcome the opportunity to work with community members on specific sites or general environmental issues. To reach a public involvement staff member, click here.
The Print and Electronic Communication staff provide layout and graphics services for internal and external newsletters, fact sheets, annual reports and brochures; and creates displays for meetings and special events. The publications section also writes the employee newsletter, fact sheets, annual reports and brochures, as well as edits newsletters and reports for Agency divisions. To reach a member of our print and electronic communications staff, click here.
PIC maintains a statewide list of environmental citizen groups and relies on these organizations for feedback on statewide and site-specific issues. PIC also provides support to U.S. EPA with its community relations program for Superfund sites in Ohio, and conducts community relations activities for the state's hazardous waste cleanup program.
Although PIC staff members are based in Ohio EPA's Central Office in Columbus, each is assigned to serve a specific district. The public involvement coordinator spends a great deal of time within the assigned district to become better acquainted with the issues and the people of that district. If you wish to speak or meet with the public involvement coordinator who serves your area, please click here or contact the Public Interest Center.
Ohio EPA Public Interest Center
P.O. Box 1049
Columbus, Ohio 43216-1049
(614) 644-2160
Public Information Sessions and Public Hearings
Although public involvement is encouraged in all areas of environmental protection, there are several points at which citizen input is especially valuable. For example, public information sessions and public hearings allow citizens to become directly involved in the permitting process. For a calendar of scheduled meetings, click here.
Ohio EPA reviews a variety of permits, including solid waste permits, air permits, hazardous waste permits and wastewater permits. When a company, a municipality or an individual applies for a permit, Ohio EPA's technical staff reviews the permit application and may recommend that the Ohio EPA director issue a draft permit. When a draft permit is issued, a 30-day comment period begins, providing citizens an opportunity to comment on the draft and to request a public hearing. The Agency conducts approximately 100 information sessions and public hearings annually.
An information session is a panel forum where Ohio EPA technical and public involvement staff present information about the draft permit and answer citizens' questions. The presentations include an explanation of the permitting process, the design and siting criteria and an overview of the permit application. In many cases, there is no statutory or regulatory requirement to have such a meeting. However, experience has shown that information sessions are an effective way to prepare citizens to comment on relevant issues at the public hearing.
A public hearing is the public's opportunity to comment for the administrative record. This record is included in the information Ohio EPA considers in deciding to issue or deny a permit. At the hearing, a court reporter records oral comments. Citizens who choose not to offer oral testimony are encouraged to submit their comments in writing. Written comments also become part of the official record.
Ohio EPA does not have unlimited authority to address all public concerns relating to a permit. Some concerns may be regulated by other state, federal or local agencies. Ohio EPA considers citizen concerns in areas the Agency regulates and refers other concerns to the appropriate agency.
Citizens and Ohio EPA benefit from public information sessions and public hearings. In many instances, Ohio citizens have provided valuable information that has been important in Ohio EPA's decision-making process.
Public Advisory Groups
Public advisory groups provide feedback on Agency program developments, policies and initiatives. These groups are composed of a variety of community members who possess a broad base of skills and interests, and represent professional organizations, environmental groups, regulated facilities, local and regional planning agencies and governmental bodies.
Ohio EPA values the contribution of citizens to these important groups. Ohio EPA asks citizens to volunteer their time and talents on public advisory groups for a variety of reasons, including the development of rules for implementing new environmental laws or the creation of a new Agency program.
Other Opportunities
Ohio EPA produces many publications to keep the public updated on environmental issues in Ohio. These publications include fact sheets and a document known as the "Weekly Review." The Weekly Review is a listing of Ohio EPA activities including announcements of all permit applications received, issued, denied, or modified and all public or adjudication hearings scheduled. If you are interested in receiving The Weekly Review, please contact Ohio EPA's Legal Office at (614) 644-3037. The Weekly Review can also be viewed online. Other documents can be obtained from the Public Interest Center.
An Ohio EPA public involvement coordinator may ask for your involvement in another Ohio EPA effort, Community Relations Plans. Community Relations Plans (CRP) are developed when Ohio EPA oversees hazardous waste cleanup at a contaminated site. CRPs typically include a description of the site background, history of community involvement at the site, community relations strategies, a schedule of community relations activities, and a list of contacts, local officials and interested parties. Prior to drafting the CRP, an Ohio EPA public involvement coordinator will interview affected residents and community leaders to determine their level of interest in the site, major concerns and issues and information needs.
The CRP promotes public participation in the decision-making process by ensuring that the public is provided with accurate and timely information about response plans and progress, and that their concerns about planned actions are heard by the Agency. If you are aware of hazardous waste cleanup activities in your community and would like more information on how you can become involved, please contact the Public Interest Center and speak with the appropriate public involvement coordinator.
For More Information or to Submit Complaints
The following toll-free hotlines are operated during business hours by each district office to offer advice and information, and to assist anyone who wants to submit a non-emergency complaint or to report an alleged violation of Ohio's environmental laws. You may also contact Ohio EPA's Public Interest Center at (614) 644-2160. To electronically request information or submit a complaint, please e-mail your request or complaint to: web.requests@epa.state.oh.us. Ohio EPA follows up on complaints, or refers them to another regulatory agency when appropriate.
Central District Office: 1-800-686-2330
Northeast District Office: 1-800-686-6330
Northwest District Office: 1-800-686-6930
Southeast District Office: 1-800-686-7330
Southwest District Office 1-800-686-8930
24-HOUR EMERGENCY HOTLINE: 1-800-282-9378
Accidental or unauthorized releases of contaminants to the air, land or water such as spills, releases, intentional dumping or emissions should be reported to Ohio EPA’s 24-hour EMERGENCY RESPONSE hotline at 1-800-282-9378. Callers should give as much of the following information as possible as it relates to the contaminant released:
- time observed;
- location;
- material released;
- probable source;
- volume and duration;
- present and anticipated movement of contaminants;
- weather condition;
- actions initiated;
- personnel on scene; and
- person to contact on scene.
Verified Complaints
To submit a more formal complaint regarding an alleged violation of Ohio's environmental laws, citizens may submit a verified complaint to Ohio EPA. Upon receipt of a verified complaint, the director of Ohio EPA must initiate a prompt investigation to determine if the alleged violation has occurred, is occurring or will occur.
The person submitting a verified complaint must claim that he/she has been or will be aggrieved or adversely affected by the alleged violation. The complaint must identify a violation of any law, rule, standard or order, license, permit, variance or plan approval. These violations must relate to air or water pollution, solid or hazardous waste, infectious wastes, construction and demolition debris or a public water supply. Also, alleged violations of a law, rule, standard or order may relate to cessation of chemical handling operations. The complaint must be in writing and labeled VERIFIED COMPLAINT. ORC Section 3745.08 requires the complaint to be verified by the affidavit of the complainant, his agent or attorney. The person before whom the affidavit is taken shall certify that it was sworn to before him/her and signed in his/her presence.
Ohio EPA suggests that the verified complaint identify the alleged violator, give detailed statements of fact, offer documentation of the violation and be mailed to the director of Ohio EPA.
An investigation of the allegations will be conducted. If the director determines a violation is evident, the director may issue an order to the violator to correct the problem or request the Attorney General's Office to begin legal proceedings. The Attorney General will dismiss the complaint if he or she determines that prior violations have terminated and future violations are unlikely to occur, or if there was no violation.
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