About Your Neighborhood

Here are some people and offices who might be able to help.

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.

The following hotlines are available on a 24 hour basis:

Region 3 Response Center: 215.814.9016
National Response Center: 800.424.8802

Citizens' Hotline: 800.438.2474
(EPA staff are available during weekday business hours to answer your questions or direct you to the appropriate office.)
Superfund Hotline: 800.553.2509
Business Assistance Center (Hotline: 800.228.8711)
Public Information Center (215.814.5663)

The EPA has put together several lists of resources for concerned citizens on such topics as buying and owning a home, safety in the workplace, environmental health threats to children, automobiles, and recycling.

There are many ways to locate information on air/water quality, hazardous waste sites, companies with emissions or discharge permits, etc. in your neighborhood. Many databases can be searched by location, such as city, county, or zip code, to find out if there is or has been pollution nearby that may be a cause for concern.