Common Questions
Find the most common questions that we get asked. If you don't find
the answer that you need in our Common Questions, visit one
of the other EPA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) listed on the right.
You may also search
frequently asked questions or submit your own questions or comments.
How and when was the EPA created?
How can I order EPA publications?
How can I locate the phone numbers and mailing addresses
of EPA staff people?
How do I contact EPA where I live?
How do I report a violation of environmental regulations?
How do I report an environmental emergency?
How can I get information on the EPA's budget?
How can I find out about job openings and internships
at the EPA?
How can I find out about fellowship grants sponsored
by the EPA?
How can I submit an official comment on proposed
environmental regulations?
Is it OK for me to link to the EPA Web site from my
home page?
How do EPA's rules and policies affect small business?
Submit your suggestions for Common Questions
How and when was the EPA created?
President Nixon declared his intention to establish the Environmental
Protection Agency with Reorganization Plan Number 3, dated July 9, 1970.
The EPA's mission would include:
"The establishment and enforcement of environmental protection standards
consistent with national environmental goals... The conduct of research
on the adverse effects of pollution and on methods and equipment for
controlling it; the gathering of information on pollution; and the use
of this information in strengthening environmental protection programs
and recommending policy changes... assisting others, through grants,
technical assistance and other means, in arresting pollution of the
environment... assisting the Council on Environmental Quality in developing
and recommending to the President new policies for the protection of
the environment."
After being cleared through hearings in the Senate and House of Representatives,
the EPA came into being on December 2, 1970.
Learn more about the beginnings of EPA in "The
Guardian: Origins of the EPA," and "The
Guardian: EPA's Formative Years, 1970-73." These publications are
available on the EPA Web site or from the EPA History Office, 202-566-1472;
their email address is history@epa.gov.
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How can I order EPA publications?
Many EPA publications are available free-of-charge from the National
Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP, formerly NCEPI),
which is located in Cincinnati, OH. To order publications, call NSCEP
toll-free at 1-800-490-9198. To search a catalog of EPA publications,
and for further information about EPA publications, visit NSCEP's Web
site.
Oral histories can be ordered from the EPA History Office, 202-566-1472;
their email address is history@epa.gov.
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How can I locate the phone numbers and mailing addresses
of EPA staff people?
EPA's automated Employee Directory contains
the telephone numbers of most EPA employees and associated contractors.
You can search the locator by the name of the employee. The main mailing
address for EPA is:
Environmental Protection Agency
Ariel Rios Bldg
1200 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20460
To send a letter to a certain person, you would need to add their name,
and the appropriate mail code (listed in the Employee Directory) for the
employee's office to the above address.
There is also a list of mailing addresses for EPA's
regional offices.
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How do I contact EPA where I
live?
To contact someone in your geographic region, determine which EPA
region your state is in. Each EPA Regional Office is responsible within
its states for the execution of the Agency's programs. If you have questions
about environmental issues, you may find the answer in the regional
FAQ page.
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How do I report a violation of environmental regulations?
State and local governments have responsibility for enforcing most environmental
laws in the area where you live. You can locate these government offices
through your telephone directory. In most communities, the responsible
agency is the city or county health department. At the state level, an
environmental agency carries out the pollution control laws, whereas an
agriculture agency often handles regulation of pesticides. If these sources
can't help you, contact your regional EPA office.
For more information on reporting a environmental violation, visit EPA's
Concerned Citizens' Environmental Violations
page.
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How can I report an environmental emergency?
Environmental emergencies such as oil and chemical spills should be
reported immediately to the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.
For more information on environmental emergencies, visit EPA's Concerned
Citizens' Environmental Emergencies page.
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How can I get information on the EPA's budget?
EPA produces a summary of the EPA budget each year. The current year's
summary is available electronically from the Office
of the Chief Financial Officer. Print copies and copies from past
years may be available from the EPA Budget Office by calling (202) 564-8340.
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How can I find out about job openings and internships
at the EPA?
EPA employs approximately 18,000 people in locations across the country.
If you are interested in helping us protect the global environment for
this generation and generations to come, we invite you to explore our
Employment Information page.
For environmental general employment/career information, please access
the "Environmental Careers
Resource Guide". This document contains fact sheets concerning different
environmental careers, and links to a "Regional Human Resource Offices"
page which provides phone numbers and addresses for EPA offices. For the
Washington DC area you can call the jobs hotline at 202-564-8111, or call
Employee Services at 202-564-0300.
EPA offers several opportunities for internships. You can find information
on these opportunities from the Office
of Human Resources.
You may also wish to contact your regional EPA
office for information about more internship opportunities. If you
call the Human Resources phone number at the office to which you would
like to apply, the staff member can direct you to offices with summer
internship openings.
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How can I find out about fellowship grants sponsored
by the EPA?
For information about obtaining a graduate research fellowship grant,
we suggest that you contact the EPA National Center for Environmental
Research Grants and Fellowship Hotline at 1-800-490-9194. Application
information is also available electronically.
Application due dates for the next school year vary from January 15
to February 15.
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How can I submit an official comment on proposed
environmental regulations?
Dockets contain Federal Register notices, support documents, and public
comments for regulations the Agency publishes and various non-regulatory
activities. EPA Dockets (EDOCKET)
is an online public docket and comment system designed to expand access
to documents in EPA’s major dockets. EDOCKET allows you to search,
download and print the documents in a docket, as well as submit
comments online.
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Is it OK for me to link to the EPA Web site from my
home page?
EPA is happy to have anyone link to our site from personal or organizational
Web sites, as long as EPA endorsement or approval is not implied. For
the same reason, we do not provide links from our site back to yours.
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How do EPA's rules and policies affect small business?
EPA has many assistance programs for small business and provides information
with the small business entrepreneur in mind. The Small
Business Gateway offers complete information about regulations and
policies that relate to small business.
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