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. 

Public Records Requests, File Reviews and eDocument Search

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.

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, 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.

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.

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 email or phone at (614) 644-3037.


 

Ohio EPA - Central Office
Attn: Rich Bouder
P.O. Box 1049
Columbus, Ohio 43216-1049
(614) 644-3037
(614) 728-1803 FAX
Email Rich Bouder
Central Office Copy Procedures

Ohio EPA
Central District Office
Attn: Lisa Oltman
50 W. Town Street, Suite 700
Columbus, Ohio 43215
(614) 728-0793
(614) 728-3898 FAX
Email Lisa Oltman
Central District Office Copy Procedures

Ohio EPA
Northeast District Office
Attn: Nicole Patella
2110 E Aurora Road
Twinsburg, Ohio 44087
(330) 963-1200
(330) 487-0769 FAX
Email Nicole Patella
Northeast District Office Copy Procedures
Northeast District Checklist

Ohio EPA
Southeast District Office
Attn: Angie Hardesty
2195 Front Street
Logan, Ohio 43138
(740) 385-8501
(740) 385-6490 FAX
Email Angie Hardesty
Southeast District Office Copy Procedures

Ohio EPA
Northwest District Office
Attn: Meghan Bingaman
347 North Dunbridge Road
Bowling Green, Ohio 43402
(419) 373-3084
(419) 352-8468 FAX
Email Meghan Bingaman
Northwest District Office Copy Procedures

Ohio EPA
Southwest District Office
Attn: Penny Prather-Dix
401 East Fifth Street
Dayton, Ohio 45402-2911
(937) 285-6025
(937) 285-6249 FAX
Email Penny Prather-Dix
Southwest District Office Copy Procedures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get to the
Right Person Faster
 
 800-282-9378