Illinois Environmental Law

Illinois EPA receives citizen pollution complaints on many subjects, including: open dumping of garbage/construction debris, odor complaints from industrial/agricultural facilities, illegal discharges into streams/rivers or other threats to public health and the environment. Report complaints using the online form or using the contact information located on this page.

The public may access environmental information by submitting a request pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act(FOIA) ( 5 ILCS 140). The Agency’s corresponding rules (“Access to Public Records of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency”, 2 Ill. Adm. Code 1828) that provide the framework by which Illinois EPA’s public records may be requested, accessed, inspected, and duplicated. Your request for environmental information must be submitted through the following means: the interactive FOIA Request Web Form provided, or through fax, the US mail or special carrier.

The public can access the IEPA Document Explorer to search more than 26,000 sites/facilities for: Air construction and operating permits; National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) water discharge permits; Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) technical documents; Site Remediation Program (SRP) technical documents; and State Response Action Program sites technical documents.

Under the Environmental Protection Act (Act) (415 ILCS 5), any person can file a complaint with the Illinois Pollution Control Board (Board) against an alleged polluter. The Board is Illinois' environmental court for pollution cases. The Board therefore hears and decides environmental enforcement actions, but does not prosecute them or investigate alleged pollution.

Generally, Board documents, except personnel records, are available on this website. If you cannot find the information that you are looking for on the website, please contact the Clerk’s Office at 312-814-3620 for assistance. An informal request for information may be made to the Clerk’s Office. Upon receiving an informal request, the Clerk’s Office will fill it promptly. If you wish to make a formal request for information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), you must submit your request in writing to Marie Tipsord, FOIA Officer, Illinois Pollution Control Board at 60 E. Van Buren St., Ste. 630, Chicago, Illinois 60605, or by email at PCB.FOIA@illinois.gov. For information supplied in response to a formal request, the Board will charge fees to the requester under FOIA.