The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) is the administrative department of the Ohio state government Ohio Rev. Code § 121.01 ''et seq.'' responsible for protecting the environment and

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...

by ensuring compliance with

environmental law Environmental law is a collective term encompassing aspects of the law that provide protection to the environment. A related but distinct set of regulatory regimes, now strongly influenced by environmental legal principles, focus on the manage ...

s. Those laws and related rules outline

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The s ...

EPA's authority and what things the Agency can consider when making decisions about regulated activities. Ohio EPA was created on Oct. 23, 1972. It combined environmental programs that previously had been scattered throughout several state departments. The director of Ohio EPA is appointed by the governor and serves as a cabinet member. Ohio EPA establishes and enforces standards for air, water, waste management and cleanup of sites contaminated with hazardous substances. The Agency also provides financial assistance to businesses and communities; environmental education programs for businesses and the public; and

pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the ...

prevention assistance to help businesses minimize their waste at the source.

Organization

Ohio EPA has several regulatory divisions that play different roles in environmental protection. Each division issues permits to regulate industries that pollute in a specific area, like air emissions or wastewater discharges to rivers and streams. The permits include requirements for operating, monitoring and reporting compliance. There are a few core responsibilities that each regulatory division of Ohio EPA fulfills: * Review permit applications and issue permits to facilities. * Investigate citizen complaints. * Monitor 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). * Provide technical assistance to help regulated facilities understand and follow environmental laws and permit requirements. * Take enforcement action against facilities that violate environmental laws and permit requirements. * Non-regulatory divisions provide financial assistance to businesses and communities; site cleanup and spill response; environmental education programs for businesses and the public; pollution prevention assistance to help businesses minimize their waste at the source; laboratory analysis; and criminal environmental investigations. Ohio EPA’s Central Office is located in

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

. Five district offices manage the Agency's programs at the local level. They are located in Bowling Green, Twinsburg, Dayton, Columbus and Logan.

References

External links

* {{authority control Environment of Ohio

Environmental Protection Agency A biophysical environment is a biotic and abiotic surrounding of an organism or population, and consequently includes the factors that have an influence in their survival, development, and evolution. A biophysical environment can vary in scal ...

Organization

See also

References

External links