Welcome to the Office of Regional Counsel

Contact Information

Office of Regional Counsel
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
77 West Jackson Blvd. (C-14J)
Chicago, IL 60604-3511
Phone: (312) 886-2944
Fax: (312) 886-0747

The Office of Regional Counsel (ORC) provides legal advice to the Regional Administrator and other senior managers of Region 5 on all matters relating to their official responsibilities. The Regional Counsel and the ORC staff represent the Region in civil, judicial, and administrative enforcement actions against regulated entities and in defensive matters within the jurisdiction of Region 5. Region 5 encompasses the States of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. ORC is attached to both the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) and the Office of General Counsel (OGC) in U.S. EPA's Headquarters Office located in Washington, D.C.

Topics of interest

Case Developments
Contact Form
Deputy Regional Counsel
Environmental Justice
Expert List
Judicial Officer
Legal Practitioner's Guide
Make A Self-Disclosure
ORC Staff Directory
RCRA Cross-State Regulations
Regional Counsel
Supplemental Environmental Projects

Significant Case Developments

U.S. District Court holds Section 113(h) of Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Bars Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Citizen Suit. (10/06/08)
Plant Manager Sentenced on Clean Water Act (CWA) Charges. (10/06/08)
Erler Industries Sentenced for Clean Air Crimes. (10/06/08)
United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) issues compliance order for dairy feed operation. (10/06/08)
United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5 Resolves Lead Disclosure Rule Case Against Simmons Rental Properties, Inc. (Southfield, Michigan). (10/06/08)
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 5 Issues Clean Air Act (CAA) Operating Permit to Veolia Environmental Services. (10/06/08)
United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), Region 5 files Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Consent Order concerning Mueller Brass Company. (10/06/08)
Record of Decision Issued Establishing Remedy for Operable Unit 3 (Middle Fork Little Beaver Creek and Feeder Creek) of the Nease Chemical Superfund Site, Columbiana County, Ohio. (10/06/08)
Region 5 Signs Consent Agreement and Final Order with White Sanitation Service, Inc. (10/06/08)
Region 5 Files a Consent Agreement and Final Order Commencing and Concluding A Proceeding with Kester, Inc. in Des Plaines, Illinois. (10/06/08)
Region 5 signs Consent Agreement and Final Order (CAFO) with Vesuvius USA Corporation. (10/06/08)
Environmental Appeals Board (EAB) Issues Order Denying Review of an Underground Injection Control (UIC) Well Permit Issued by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, to the Beeland Group. (10/06/08)
United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and Waste Management of Ohio enter into Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Cost Recovery Administrative Order on Consent (09/29/08)
De Minimis Settlor opposes Ability to Pay Consent Decree (09/29/08)
United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 files a combined Administrative Complaint and Consent Agreement with Clean The Uniform Company Highland (Clean) (09/29/08)
United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) Region 5 signs Consent Agreement and Final Order (CAFO) with Logan County Water Pollution Control, Indian Lake District (Logan), Russells Point, OH(09/29/08)
United States Files Complaint and Simultaneously Lodges Consent Decree Resolving Violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) by Merit Energy Co., LLC and Shell Exploration & Production Co. in Manistee, Michigan (09/29/08)
United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) Region 5 files Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Consent Order concerning CFC International, Inc. (09/29/08)
United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) Issues a Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Administrative Settlement Agreement and Order on Consent for Feasibility Study to Responsible Parties at the St. Regis Paper Company Superfund Site, Cass Lake (Cass County), Minnesota (09/29/08)
United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 enters into Consent Agreement and Final Order (CAFO) requiring Duininck Brothers, Inc. to comply with the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 to 1387 (CWA), and to pay a civil penalty of $90,000.00 (09/29/08)
President of MN Electroplating Firm Sent to Prison (09/29/08)
Region 5 files Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Consent Order concerning Vets Plus, Inc.(09/22/08)
Judge Grants United States’ Summary Judgment Motion for Prejudgment Interest in Cost Recovery Case (09/22/08)
United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), Region 5 enters into a Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) Administrative Settlement Agreement and Order on Consent Agreement and Final Order (ASAOC) for response action and recovery of costs with Ameren IP regarding the Illinois Power subarea of the Ottawa Radiation NPL Site. (09/22/08)
Twenty-three settling defendants in U.S. v Converters Ink Company et al., Consent Decree reimburse United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA)’s Superfund $2.1 million for removal costs incurred in connection with IWI site in Summit, Illinois (09/22/08)
United State Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) solicits public comment on a Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act(CERCLA) agreement with twenty-three settling respondents for payment of U.S. EPA’s response costs for the Amber Oil Site in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (09/22/08)
Region 5 enters into Consent Agreement and Final Order (CAFO) requiring Phibro-Tech, Inc., Joliet, Illinois, to comply with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, as amended, 42 U.S.C. §§ 6901 to 6992k, (RCRA), and to pay a civil penalty of $151,603.00 (09/15/08)
United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) issues compliance order for wetland mitigation (09/15/08)
United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) reaches administrative settlement for violation of Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) regarding failure to file Form R (09/15/08)
Brothers Plead Guilty To Making Illegal Discharges Into Sewer System; United States v. James W. Morrow and Larry J. Morrow (09/15/08)
Dayton Company Charged With Making Illegal Discharges Into The Sewer System; United States v. Techmetals, Inc. (09/15/08)
Significant Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) Achievement: MAPEI Inc., West Chicago, Illinois (09/15/08)
United States Files Commences Civil Action against Carlton B. Coen Land Company For Response Cost Recovery under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) (09/08/08)
Region 5 enters into a Consent Agreement and Final Order (CAFO) requiring the Illinois Department of Central Management Service, Springfield, Illinois, to comply with the Solid Waste Disposal Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 6901 to 6992k, (the Act), and to pay to the Treasurer, United States of America, a civil penalty in the amount of $20,408.65 (09/08/08)
Region 5 Executes Consent Agreement and Final Order (CAFO) with Joseph Miklos of Youngstown, Ohio, Resolving Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule Violations (09/08/08)
Region 5 signs Consent Agreement and Final Order (CAFO) with Envirosafe Services of Ohio, Inc., (ESOI ) Oregon, Ohio (09/08/08)
United States lodges Consent Decree resolving Crane Composites Liability under the Clean Air Act (CAA) for State Implementation Plans (SIP) and Title V violations at it Channahon, Illinois Facility (09/01/08)
Region 5 settles Lighting Resources, LLC Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) matter (09/01/08)
Court Enters Amended Consent Decree Concerning the Lower Fox River and Green Bay Superfund Site, Wisconsin (09/01/08)
United States District Court Approves Plaintiffs’ Motion To Enter Consent Decree (CD) In U.S. and State of Illinois v. Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation No. 08-CV-50129 (N.D. IL) (09/01/08)
Environmental Groups Challenge Title V Permit Issued to BP (09/01/08)

Enforcement in Region 5
EPA Compliance and Enforcement

Welcome to the Office of Regional Counsel

Contact Information

Topics of interest

Significant Case Developments

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