Community Relations

The Office of Community Relations works with the public to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of environmental programs at the Illinois EPA. The main goal of the Office of Community Relations is to ensure that the public receives accurate and timely information about Illinois EPA activities while offering the public the opportunity to provide input on environmental decisions.

Staff in the Office of Community Relations perform the following duties on a day-to-day basis:

• Issue public notices;
• Coordinate the Illinois EPA Right-to-Know program;
• Explain environmental statutes, rules, and regulations to the public in plain language;
• Arrange and coordinate public meetings, hearings, workshops, and conferences to address public concerns and to answer questions about Illinois EPA activities - such as pending permit decisions, site cleanups, and new program initiatives;
• Write fact sheets, pamphlets, news releases, and responsiveness summaries; and
• Assist Illinois EPA technical staff with property access and public meetings.

The Office of Community Relations promotes outreach activities and fulfills, as needed, the public participation requirements for the following areas of the Illinois EPA:

• Air Pollution Control Permit Section
• Water Pollution Control Permit Section
• Watershed Management Program
• Land Pollution Control Permit Section
• Land Federal Sites
• Land Office of Site Evaluation
• Land Site Remediation Program and Brownfields properties
• Leaking Underground Storage Tank Section

The Office of Community Relations assists elsewhere at the Illinois EPA on special projects involving environmental education, the Great Lakes, community development and how-to workshops.

Pollution Complaint
How to submit a complaint and an online form 
Emergency Response
Contact numbers, frequently asked questions, and related links
Freedom of Information Act Requests
Rules, fees, and an online form to submit your request
In Your Home
Information about asbestos, fluorescent lamps, pollution prevention, electronics recycling, lead-based paint, and more

Staff Directory

The following directory lists the Office of Community Relations staff at the Illinois EPA and how to contact them.