Protecting Cincinnati’s air quality from illegal discharges and annoying odors is a joint effort involving the Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services (HCDOES) and the city’s Office of Environmental Quality (OEQ), the Health Department, and Law Department.

Anyone who believes that they have detected an improper discharge to the air (whether by sight or smell) should call the Air Quality Complaint Hotline at 513-946-7777. HCDOES staffs this hotline 24/7 and responds promptly to attempt to verify, trace, and document air quality problems. If the source of the problem is identified, inspectors make immediate contact to eliminate the problem as quickly as possible, and work with the source to prevent reoccurrences.

HCDOES, OEQ, Health, and Law meet regularly to review air quality complaints and the results of the staff’s investigations. The group decides whether an enforcement action is appropriate, what form that action should take, and whether the City should be the lead entity for the enforcement. When City enforcement is appropriate, OEQ and the Law Department work cooperatively to take the appropriate actions.