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Your Right to Language Assistance Services
Individuals that do not use English as their primary language and have a limited ability to read, write, speak, or understand English are considered limited English proficient (LEP).
The Illinois EPA’s 2026 Revised Language Access Plan (LAP) aims to provide guidance to agency staff and establish a roadmap to support meaningful access to the agency’s services, programs, and opportunities for LEP individuals. The Language Access Plan also seeks to align the agency’s efforts and bring Illinois EPA into compliance with the Illinois Language Equity and Access Act (Public Act 103-0723) of 2024, the Illinois Civil Rights Act of 2003, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable federal and state standards and guidelines.
The LAP presents the agency’s resources and protocols available to Agency employees for interacting with identified LEP individuals including the availability of interpretation and translation services at no cost to the requestor. Illinois EPA provides free language services to LEP individuals, such as qualified interpreters and information written in other languages.
Translation Assistance
Free language assistance is available for individuals with limited English proficiency to access Illinois EPA programs and services. Telephonic interpretation for multiple languages is available to Illinois EPA staff through Illinois EPA’s third-party service, Propio.
Illinois EPA also has bilingual team members who speak Spanish to assist with both in-person, email and phone inquiries, who can be contacted below:
|
Office Manager - Chicago |
Spanish |
(312) 832-0028 |
|
Community Relations - Chicago |
Spanish |
(847) 553-9251 |
|
EJ Office Coordinator - Springfield |
Spanish | (217) 557-0435 |
More Information
For more information on the agency’s Language Access Plan or assistance in obtaining Language Access Services, contact the IEPA Language Access Coordinator or the Office of Environmental Justice at EPA.OEJ@illinois.gov.
Chris Pressnall, Language Access Coordinator
Office of Environmental Justice
Chris.Pressnall@illinois.gov
(217) 524-1284
For additional language access services, individuals may fill out the Request for Language Access form.
LEP individuals who feel they have been discriminated against on the basis of language access may also submit a Grievance Form to the Illinois EPA.