Under Ohio's public records law, citizens have the right to view upon request the public records of offices such as Ohio EPA.

Public Records

Ohio's public records law should not be confused with the Federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 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.

How do I 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, it is suggested that you fill out and submit the file review request checklist. The Procedures for Public Records Requests and File Reviews fact sheet explains Ohio EPA's file review process in more detail.

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 have copies made or to set up a convenient time for you to review the files.

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.

• Central Office Copy Procedures
• Central District Office Copy Procedures
• Northeast District Office Copy Procedures
• Northwest District Office Copy Procedures
• Southeast District Office Copy Procedures
• Southwest District Office Copy Procedures

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 complete our online form.

Ohio EPA Central Office
Attn: Rich Bouder
P.O. Box 1049
Columbus, Ohio 43216-1049
(614) 644-3037
(614) 728-1803 FAX
richard.bouder@epa.ohio.gov

Ohio EPA - Central District Office
Attn: Lisa Oltman
50 W. Town Street, Suite 700
Columbus, Ohio 43215
(614) 728-0793
(614) 728-3898 FAX
lisa.oltman@epa.ohio.gov

Ohio EPA - Northeast District Office
Attn: Nicole Patella
2110 E. Aurora Road
Twinsburg, Ohio 44087
(330) 963-1200
(330) 487-0769 FAX
nicole.patella@epa.ohio.gov

Ohio EPA - Southeast District Office
Attn: Cynthia Stello
2195 Front Street
Logan, Ohio 43138
(740) 385-8501
(740) 385-6490 FAX
cynthia.stello@epa.ohio.gov

Ohio EPA - Northwest District Office
Attn: Meghan Bingaman
347 N. Dunbridge Road
Bowling Green, Ohio 43402
(419) 373-3084
(419) 352-8468 FAX
meghan.bingaman@epa.ohio.gov

Ohio EPA - Southwest District Office
Attn: Penny Prather-Dix
401 E. Fifth Street
Dayton, Ohio 45402-2911
(937) 285-6025
(937) 285-6249 FAX
penny.prather-dix@epa.ohio.gov