If you happen to be out walking, driving, canoeing, or fishing and you see what may be a case of illegal dumping or an unlawful discharge of water pollution, you should immediately report the incident.
What do you report?
Fish kills, discoloration in the water or an oily sheen on the water, illegal dumping in our waterways, unusually high water temperatures, sediment carried off a construction site without controls, or effluent coming from a pipe that smells or look strange.
When?
Right away, but if you continue to observe the problem on an ongoing basis be sure to keep a record of the dates and time. If the problem goes unreported, it may never be solved.
Who do you call?
Call the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for any water quality violation, and make an additional call to the Department of Natural Resources in case of a fish kill. It may be prudent to contact your local police department or 9-1-1, in the case where a chemical spill could pose a threat to human health.
How?
When reporting the incident, try to do the following:
- Identify the source of pollution.
- Get a picture of the source as well as a picture of any impact you notice in the stream such as a fish kill or water condition. Even if you cannot identify the source, it is still important to photograph any impacts you see in the stream.
- Note the date, time, and location. If you observe the incident more than once, note all dates and times.
- Get names and numbers of anyone else who observed the incident.
Who To Contact:
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Emergency Response at 1-800-782-7860, or you can fill out a Citizen Complaint Report.
Department of Natural Resources Office of Law Enforcement (for conservation offenses such as a fish kill) at the toll-free telephone number, 1-877-2DNRLAW (1-877-236-7529).
Local Reporters or News Outlets
Illinois EPA Field Offices – Report pollution violations to the office nearest you:
Champaign 217-278-5800
Collinsville 618-346-5120
Des Plaines 847-294-4000
Marion 618-993-7200
Peoria 309-693-5463
Rockford 815-987-7760
Springfield 217-786-6892
For emergencies or when field offices are closed, call 800-782-7860.
IDNR (IL Department of Natural Resources) 1-217-782-6302
ACE (Army Corps of Engineers) – call the office nearest you
