Public involvement is a high priority at Ohio EPA and numerous efforts ar emade to involve citizens in the decision-making process. These efforts give interested citizens the opportunity to learn about Ohio EPA's permitting process and the technical requirements that must be met, and to voice their concerns. Citizens and Ohio EPA benefit from public involvement. In many instances, citizens have played a very important role by providing information which proved to be valuable in the decision-making process. Although public involvement is encouraged in all areas of environmental protection, there are several points at which citizen input is especially valuable.
Public hearings allow citizens to become directly involved in the permitting process.
This occurs during a 30-day written comment period after a draft permit has been issued. A final decision will not be made until all comments have been reviewed and considered. Ohio EPA also conducts public information sessions to allow citizens to ask questions regarding the draft permit. If your comments are relevant to Ohio EPA's technical review of the permit application, then your comments can make a difference. Therefore, it is important for you to learn about the technical criteria on which Ohio EPA bases its final decision.