Are you concerned about an environmental situation within your community but don't know where to go for answers? Learn more:
For emergencies and other sudden threats to public health, such as:
call the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.
For pesticide poisoning, call 911 if the person is unconscious, has trouble breathing, or has convulsions. Otherwise, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
Fill out the form at epa.gov/tips. If you don't have Internet access, call the EPA office in your area of the country (see the phone numbers on the right).
Many issues are handled at the local level. You may first want to try contacting your local government office for concerns about trash, litter, strange odors, recycling pickup, and household chemical disposal, including paints, pesticides, oil, antifreeze, etc. You can find information about your local government in the blue pages of your telephone book or by contacting your public library.
For concerns that may not be handled at the local level, the next step is to contact your state environmental agency. Information about state agencies can be found in the blue pages of your telephone book as well.
An environmental violation occurs when an activity or an existing condition does not comply with an environmental law or regulation. Environmental violations can include (but are not limited to):
An environmental emergency is a sudden threat to the public health or the well-being of the environment, arising from the release or potential release of oil, radioactive materials, or hazardous chemicals into the air, land, or water.
Examples of environmental emergencies include:
These emergencies may occur from transportation accidents, events at chemical or other facilities using or manufacturing chemicals, or as a result of natural or man-made disaster events. If you are involved in or witness an environmental emergency that presents a sudden threat to public health, you must call the National Response Center at: 1-800-424-8802.
The National Response Center has an on-line query system with oil and chemical spill data reported to the Center. Data received via the National Railroad Hotline (1-800-424-0201) are also available as are reports taken during drills or spill exercises. This system provides full query capability on all non-Privacy Act data collected by the NRC since 1990. Additionally, yearly data from 1982 to 2007 can be downloaded for viewing offline.
Don't have access to the internet? Call your EPA Regional office:
Region 1 / New England (ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT): 1-888-372-7341
Region 2 / NY and NJ: 1-212-637-4050
Region 2 / Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands: 1-787-729-6826
Region 3 / Mid-Atlantic (DE, MD, PA, VA, WV, DC): 1-800-438-2474
Region 4 / Southeast (MS, TN, AL, GA, FL, KY, SC, NC): 1-800-241-1754 or 1-404-562-9900
Region 5 / Upper Midwest (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI): 1-312-353-2000
Region 6 / South Central (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX): from Region 6 states, 1-800-887-6063; from elsewhere, 1-214-665-2210
Region 7 / Midwest (IA, KS, MO, NE): 1-800-223-0425
Region 8 / Mountains and Plains (CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY): from Region 8 states, 1-800-227-8917; from elsewhere, 1-303-312-6312
Region 9 / Pacific Southwest (AZ, CA, HI, NV, Guam, American Samoa): 1-415-947-8713
Region 10 / Pacific Northwest (AK, ID, OR, WA): 1-800-424-4372 or 1-206-553-4973
Right-to-know laws provide information about possible chemical exposures. Discover resources EPA provides the public in the spirit of right-to-know.
Our proposed regulations are almost always open to the public for comment. Your participation leads to better regulations.
Tips for home safety, avoiding potential risks, and preventing pollution by recycling and conserving water and energy.
Information about preventing pollution in your workplace, and raising awareness of health and safety issues.
Consumer information about the environmental impacts of transportation plus tips on cleaner cars, saving gas and improving mileage, boating pollution prevention tips, and more.
Whether you are a student or a teacher in a class about the environment, EPA has lots of educational resources to offer you.
Find helpful information on how to choose purchases that will reduce pollution, save energy and money.
Learn how to protect your neighborhood's natural resources, and get information on air and water quality in your community.
Learn about environmental issues that impact our world, and about programs, opportunities, and tools to help you get involved and make a difference in your community.
More on thinking globally and acting locally >>
Information on potential environmental violations and how to report a suspicious situation. To report oil and chemical spills, call the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.
Learn how to report violations and emergencies | Information on natural disasters >>
Information on how to protect children from toxins, the sun, lead, and other potential environmental health threats.