Ohio Environmental Protection Agency

**About Us** The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is a trusted leader and environmental steward using innovation, quality service and public involvement to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all Ohioans. Everyone needs clean air to breathe and clean water to drink. We want to keep our environment clean, but we enjoy modern conveniences that create pollution, like air emissions from electric plants and automobiles and hazardous waste like leftover paint and cleaning chemicals. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is a state agency whose goal is to protect the environment and public health by ensuring compliance with environmental laws. Those laws and related rules outline Ohio EPA's authority and what things we can consider when making decisions about regulated activities. Ohio EPA was created on Oct. 23, 1972. It combined environmental programs that previously had been scattered throughout several state departments. Ohio EPA's Central Office is located in Columbus. District offices manage the agency's programs throughout the state. The director of Ohio EPA is appointed by the governor and serves as a cabinet member. [See all the previous directors here.](https://epa.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/epa/about/past-leadership) Ohio EPA establishes and enforces standards for air, water, waste management and cleanup of sites contaminated with hazardous substances. We also provide financial assistance to businesses and communities; environmental education programs for businesses and the public; and pollution prevention assistance to help businesses minimize their waste at the source.