Ohio EPA started with about 230 employees and now has more than 1,400. The Ohio Environmental Education Fund uses monies collected for violations of air and water pollution control regulations to award grants for projects that expand awareness and understanding of environmental issues. Ohio was the first state to issue hazardous waste permits.
Environmental protection is a big job.
Ohio EPA issues approximately 20,000 permits a year and responds to more than 1,000 spills. In 1994, we responded to approximately 175,000 requests for help, ranging from a letter to a phone call to an on-site visit. Ohio EPA samples more than 700 miles of streams annually. Solid waste reduction and recycling in Ohio increased from 4.4 million tons in 1990 to 8.5 million tons in 1995. This means Ohio had an average recycling rate of 31.7 percent in 1995, up from 25.6 percent in 1990.