Meghan Hodges
Pollution is a serious issue that can have detrimental effects on the environment and human health. It is important to know how and where to report pollution to ensure that the appropriate authorities can address the issue promptly and effectively. Different types of pollution, such as air, water, hazardous waste, and chemical spills, may have specific channels for reporting, and these channels can vary depending on your location. For example, in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) handles reports of environmental violations, while local agencies like the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in Pennsylvania and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in Virginia also play a role in addressing pollution incidents. Knowing how to identify and report pollution is a crucial step in protecting our environment and communities.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reporting pollution incidents | Contact local 911 and the state emergency operations center |
| Reporting pollution in Virginia | Call 1-800-468-8892 |
| Reporting pollution in Pennsylvania | Call 866-255-5158 |
| Reporting pollution in Philadelphia | Visit cleanair.org/complaints |
| Reporting pollution in Allegheny County | Call 412-687-2243 |
| Reporting pollution in the US | Contact the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) |
| Reporting pollution from railroads, airports, and maritime shipping hubs | Contact the National Response Center |
| Reporting pollution concerns involving animals | Contact the US Department of Agriculture's Office of Inspector General's Hotline or 1-800-424-9121 |
| Reporting pollution concerns involving workplace conditions | Contact the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at 1-800-321-6742 |
| Reporting pollution concerns involving transportation of hazardous materials or pipelines | Contact the Department of Transportation—Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG) at 1-800-424-9071 |
| Reporting pollution concerns involving federal funds | Contact the local United States Attorney's Office, DOJ Office of Environmental Justice, or DOJ Civil Rights at 1-888-848-5306 |
| Reporting pollution concerns involving public corruption | Contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation |
| Reporting pollution concerns involving state law | Contact the State Attorney General's office |
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What You'll Learn
Reporting pollution incidents
Regulatory agencies rely on the public to inform them of environmental hazards, and there are various city, state, and federal agencies that take environmental complaints depending on the issue and location. The public can play a crucial role in protecting the environment by reporting suspected violations and helping enforce environmental laws.
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): The EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) aims to improve the environment and safeguard human health by ensuring compliance with environmental laws and regulations, preventing pollution, and promoting environmental stewardship. The public can report suspected environmental violations to the EPA, which may include providing information about potentially harmful environmental activities in communities and workplaces. Reports can be made using the online violation reporting form, or by contacting the EPA regional office for your state via phone. The EPA also provides various tools for tracking and searching environmental data, such as the ECHO Clean Air Tracking Tool (ECATT) and the National Data Sets.
National Response Center: If you witness a chemical or oil spill, or any other pollution discharge, including those from railroads, airports, and maritime shipping hubs, you can report it to the National Response Center. They can be reached at 1-800-424-8802 or 202-267-2675, and they also accept waste reports regarding agricultural operations.
Local and State Agencies: Depending on your location, you may need to report environmental incidents to your local or state agencies. For example, in Pennsylvania, you can report environmental incidents and hazards to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) by calling 866-255-5158. In Virginia, significant pollution incidents that pose an imminent threat can be reported to local 911 and the Virginia Emergency Operations Center at 1-800-468-8892. Additionally, Philadelphia and Allegheny County in Pennsylvania have their own air quality agencies, with Allegheny County offering an online air quality complaint form.
Other Specialized Agencies: Depending on the nature of the pollution incident, other specialized agencies may be involved. For instance, if the violation concerns workplace conditions, such as exposure to chemicals or noxious fumes, you can contact the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at 1-800-321-6742. If the violation involves transportation or pipelines, you can reach out to the Department of Transportation — Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG) at 1-800-424-9071. For animal welfare crimes, you can contact your local law enforcement or the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Office of Inspector General at 1-800-424-9121. If the violation involves a matter of state law, you may need to contact your State Attorney General's office.
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Reporting air pollution
In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the main body that deals with environmental violations. The EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) aims to improve the environment and protect human health by ensuring compliance with environmental laws and regulations, preventing pollution, and promoting environmental stewardship. The public can help by reporting suspected environmental violations to the EPA. This can be done via the EPA's website, by phone, or through the online violation reporting form. The EPA also provides an Air Monitoring Station Report Help and an Air Pollutant Report Help.
If you are experiencing an environmental emergency or witnessing an event that poses an imminent threat to human health or the environment, you should contact the National Response Center. The National Response Center can be reached at 1-800-424-8802 or 202-267-2675 and accepts reports on chemical or oil spills, pollution discharges, and waste reports regarding agricultural operations.
In addition to the federal level, there are also state and county agencies that handle environmental complaints. For example, in Pennsylvania, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) takes reports on environmental incidents and hazards, and both Philadelphia and Allegheny Counties have their own air quality agencies. Allegheny County provides an online air quality complaint form, while Philadelphia offers information on reporting a variety of environmental hazards.
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Reporting water pollution
Water pollution can be reported in a number of ways, depending on your location and the type of pollution.
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The EPA has a general environmental violations reporting website, where you can report suspected violations. You can also contact the EPA regional office for your state by phone. The EPA also has a Clean Air Tracking Tool (ECATT) and a Water Pollutant Loading Tool.
National Response Center
If you witness a chemical or oil spill, or any other pollution discharge, you can report this to the National Response Center. Call 1-800-424-8802 or 202-267-2675.
California
In California, you can contact the Water Board at 510-622-2369 during business hours. If you need to report a problem outside of business hours, see the CalEPA reporting. You can also call the Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) at (800) 852-7550 or (800) OILS-911.
Allegheny County
To report a public health emergency in Allegheny County, please call 412-687-2243. You can also use the Allegheny County Health Department’s online air quality complaint form.
Riverkeeper
Riverkeeper has a pollution violation reporting page on its website. Its work is focused on the Hudson River watershed. If your report concerns an issue outside of this area, contact the Waterkeeper Alliance at 212-747-0622 or [email protected].
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Reporting to the EPA
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites the public to help protect the nation's environment by identifying and reporting environmental violations. The EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) is responsible for improving the environment and protecting human health by ensuring compliance with environmental laws and regulations, preventing pollution, and promoting environmental stewardship.
The EPA encourages individuals to report suspected environmental violations or potentially harmful environmental activities in their communities and workplaces. Reports from the public have led to state and federal enforcement cases and have served environmental protection. Violations of environmental laws can take many forms, including intentional and criminal acts. It is important to note that the EPA does not have jurisdiction over automobile safety, consumer product safety, foods, medicine, cosmetics, or medical devices.
The EPA provides several resources for reporting environmental violations, including an online violation reporting form and a phone number for the EPA regional office in your state. The EPA also offers tools such as the ECHO Clean Air Tracking Tool (ECATT) for tracking air quality and the Water Pollutant Loading Tool for monitoring water pollution. Additionally, the EPA website provides information on various dashboards, data visualization tools, and case search functions.
In the case of an environmental emergency or an event that poses an imminent threat to human health or the environment, individuals should contact the National Response Center. The National Response Center can be reached by calling 1-800-424-8802 or 202-267-2675, and it accepts reports on chemical or oil spills, pollution discharges, and waste from agricultural operations.
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Pollution reporting tools
The public plays a crucial role in reporting environmental hazards to the relevant regulatory agencies. Various city, state, and federal agencies are responsible for handling environmental complaints, depending on the issue and your location. Here are some tools and resources for reporting pollution:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) aims to improve the environment and protect human health by ensuring compliance with environmental laws and regulations. The public can report suspected environmental violations to the EPA through their website: https://echo.epa.gov/report-environmental-violations. The EPA also provides an online violation reporting form, and you can contact their regional office by phone for your state. The EPA has various tools for tracking and searching, including the ECHO Clean Air Tracking Tool (ECATT) and the Water Pollutant Loading Tool.
National Response Center
If you witness a chemical or oil spill, or any pollution discharge into the environment, including agricultural waste, you can report it to the National Response Center. They can be reached at 1-800-424-8802 or 202-267-2675. The National Response Center also accepts reports regarding pollution from interstate commerce, such as railroads, airports, and maritime shipping hubs.
State and Local Agencies
In addition to federal agencies, state and local agencies also handle environmental complaints. For example, in Pennsylvania, you can report environmental incidents and hazards to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) at 866-255-5158. Philadelphia and Allegheny Counties have their own air quality agencies, and Allegheny County offers an online air quality complaint form. Virginia has the myDEQ Portal PREP Report to search for and report new pollution incidents, and you can call 1-800-468-8892 to report significant pollution incidents.
Other Specialized Agencies
Depending on the nature of the pollution or violation, other specialized agencies may be involved. For instance, if the violation concerns workplace conditions, such as exposure to chemicals or fumes, you can contact the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at 1-800-321-6742. If it involves transportation or pipelines, you can reach out to the Department of Transportation — Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG) at 1-800-424-9071. For animal welfare crimes, you can contact your local law enforcement or the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Office of Inspector General at 1-800-424-9121.
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Frequently asked questions
If you witness a chemical spill or any other pollution discharge into the environment, call the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802 or 202-267-2675.
You can report violations of environmental laws and regulations to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at https://echo.epa.gov/report-environmental-violations.
Report the pollution incident to your local 911 and to the Virginia Emergency Operations Center at 1-800-468-8892.
