Who is Ohio EPA?

Everyone needs clean air to breathe and clean water todrink. We want to keep our environment clean, but we enjoymodern conveniences that create pollution, like air emis-sions from electric plants and automobiles and hazardouswaste like leftover paint and cleaning chemicals. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is a stateagency whose goal is to protect the environment and publichealth by ensuring compliance with environmental laws.Those laws and related rules outline Ohio EPA’s authority—what we can and can’t do, and what things we can considerwhen making decisions about facility operations. Ohio EPA was created on October 23, 1972. It combinedenvironmental programs that previously had been scatteredthroughout several state departments. Ohio EPA’s CentralOffice is located in Columbus, and five district offices man-age the Agency’s programs throughout the state. You willfind a district map and contact information on the back ofthis brochure. Ohio EPA establishes and enforces standards for air,water, waste management and cleanup of sites contami-nated with hazard-ous substances. Wealso provide financialassistance to busi-nesses and communi-ties; environmentaleducation programsfor businesses and thepublic; and pollutionprevention assistanceto help businessesminimize their wasteat the source. Thisbrochure brieflyoutlines Ohio EPA’soperations andmajor goals.

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What Ohio EPA doesn’t do...

With so many state departments and agencies, it can bedifficult to determine exactly who handles a particular issue.Ohio EPA often receives comments or questions aboutenvironmental issues that we can’t address because the lawsgive that authority to other departments. Here’s a list of issuesthat Ohio EPA doesn’t handle, along with the state departmentor agency that does.

Department of Agriculture — (614) 728-6200www.ohioagriculture.gov

• Food safety• Pesticide application• Confined animal feeding operations

Department of Commerce,State Fire Marshal Division — (614) 752-8200www.com.state.oh.us/sfm/

• Underground petroleum storage tanks

Department of Health — (614) 466-3543www.odh.state.oh.us

• Indoor air pollution (lead, mold)• Private wells• Private septic systems• Radon• Water bacteria levels at local beaches• West Nile virus (carried by mosquitoes)

Department of Natural Resources — (614) 265-6565www.dnr.state.oh.us

• Mining Permits• Recycling• State parks• Well water draw-down

Common Denominators

Ohio EPA is dividedinto five regulatory divisionsthat play different roles inenvironmental protection.Each division issues permitsto regulate industries thatpollute in a specific area,like air emissions or waste-water discharges to riversand streams. The permitsinclude requirements foroperating, monitoring andreporting compliance. Thereare a few core responsibili-ties that each division ofOhio EPA must fulfill.

• Reviewing permit applications and issuing permits to facilities.

• Investigating citizen complaints.

• Monitoring to make sure all environmental standards are met (usually accomplished by collecting samples of air, water or soil and testing them for pollutants in a laboratory; and reviewing sampling and monitoring data submitted by a facility).

• Providing technical assistance to help regulated facilities understand and follow environmental laws and permit requirements.

• Taking enforcement action against facilities that violate environmental laws and permit requirements.

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Environmental Education

The Office of Environmental Education administersthe Ohio Environmental Education Fund, which awards upto one million dollars annually in grants to schools, advocacygroups, industry associations, non-profit groups and othersfor projects that increase awareness and understanding ofenvironmental issues throughout Ohio. The office worksclosely with partner organizations and other governmentagencies to coordinate environmental education efforts.

Financial Assistance

The Division of Environmental andFinancial Assistance finances waterquality improvementprojects through a low-interest revolving loanprogram. Eligibleprojects include buildingor renovating drinkingwater plants orwastewater plantsand sewers, cleaningup abandonedindustrial sites(brownfields) andwellhead protectionprograms.

Contact Us!

Visit us on the Web at www.epa.state.oh.us.

Each district office has a toll-free number that citizens cancall to report potential violations or complaints. Please usethe office number for all other calls. To report a spillanywhere in Ohio, call the toll-free spill hotline 24 hours aday at (800) 282-9378.

What does Ohio EPA do?

Ohio EPA establishes and enforces standards to protectthe environment in the following areas:

Air

The Division of Air Pollution Control ensurescompliance with the federal Clean Air Act and works toreduce the emissions of air toxins. We issue permits tosources of air pollution such as factories and monitoremissions from some vehicles.

Drinking Water

The Division of Drinking and Ground Waters ensurescompliance with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act andevaluates potential threats to source waters of Ohio’s 1,500public water systems. We approve plans for public watersystems (not private wells), and regulate undergrounddisposal of certain kinds of liquid waste.

Lakes, Rivers and Streams

The Division ofSurface Water ensurescompliance with thefederal Clean WaterAct and works toincrease the number ofwater bodies that cansafely be used forswimming and fishing.We issue permits towastewater treatmentplants and factories,and overseemanagement of stormwater to reduce the impact of pollutants in runoff. Wedevelop comprehensive watershed plans aimed at improvingpolluted streams. We also sample water, bugs and fish todetermine the health of Ohio’s streams.

Solid Waste Management

The Division of Solid and Infectious WasteManagement ensures proper handling of solid waste andencourages people to reduce, reuse or recycle solid wastegenerated in Ohio. We issue permits to landfills, wasteincinerators, transfer facilities, composting facilities, scraptire facilities, construction and demolition disposal sites,infectious waste disposal sites and industries that generateinfectious wastes, such as hospitals. We also oversee stateand local planning for long-term solid waste management.

Hazardous Waste Management

The Division of Hazardous Waste Managementpromotes pollution prevention and the proper managementand cleanup of hazardous waste. We issue permits tohazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities.We also make sure that companies properly close hazardouswaste areas that are no longer used.

Cleanup

The Division of Emergency and Remedial Responsecleans up contaminated sites and prevents the spread ofcontamination. We oversee investigation and cleanup workat contaminated sites. We also provide assistance toindustries and communities during spills or otherenvironmental emergencies.

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What else does Ohio EPA do?

Compliance Assistance and Pollution Prevention

Environmental regulations can be confusing. The Officeof Compliance Assistance and Pollution Prevention(OCAPP) is a non-regulatory program that providesinformation and resources to help businesses understandand follow applicable rules and permit requirements. OCAPPalso helps customers identify and implement pollutionprevention measures that can save money, increasebusiness performance and benefit the environment.