As a precautionary response to COVID-19, Ohio EPA is currently operating with most staff working remotely. If you are working with our staff on a current project and you know the name of the employee you are working with, email them at firstname.lastname@epa.ohio.gov or call them directly. The Agency website has contact information for every district, division, and office. In order to reach us, please contact Ohio EPA’s main phone line at (614) 644-3020 or the main line for the division or office you are trying to reach.

After March 23, our district offices and Central Office will be temporarily closed and will have increasingly limited ability to receive deliveries, plans, etc. All entities are encouraged to submit plans, permit applications, etc., electronically where there are existing avenues to do so, such as the eBusiness Center (eBiz). Please refer to the list of available services on the main eBiz webpage. We encourage you to make use of all that apply, even if you have not used eBiz in the past. Plans under 25 MB can be emailed. For large plans over 25 MB, entities should work with the reviewer/division to upload via LiquidFiles. Directions for submitting docs via LiquidFiles is available on YouTube. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you in advance for your understanding. If you wish to send hard copies of documents to any of Ohio EPA’s district offices, the best method to ensure we receive these documents is to send them via U.S. Mail. Since all offices are closed, deliveries outside of U.S. Mail (FedEx, UPS) will likely be returned because the offices are closed and deliveries cannot be made.

To report a spill or environmental emergency, contact the spill hotline (800) 282-9378 or (614) 224-0946. 

The Ohio ECheck Program

In January 1996, the State of Ohio began a new vehicle emissions testing program, E-Check, designed to identify motor vehicles that emit excessive levels of pollutants into the air. Among the other emissions control options considered by the legislature, E-Check was the most cost-efficient measure to reduce the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that form ground-level ozone, or smog. The program currently tests cars in seven Ohio counties.

At the time it was implemented, E-Check used the I/M 240 test, a 240-second transient test during which a vehicle is driven on a dyne (treadmill) and its tailpipe emissions are measured. In 2000, the I/M 240 test was replaced with Acceleration Simulation Mode (ASM) 2525. ASM 2525 is similar to I/M 240 but is perceived to be less stressful on the vehicle. Testing programs, like E-Check, that employ one or more of these tests are referred to by U.S. EPA as "enhanced" programs.

In January 2004, a new, federally mandated test known as On-Board Diagnostics (OBD II) was implemented. OBD II is required for newer vehicles, while ASM 2525 is still used for older vehicles. For more information on OBD II click here.