Have you discovered possible illegal polluting activities near your community or place of work?

Informed, active local residents are the single most critical component of pollution control. Government agencies are limited in funds, so they’re usually “complaint-driven”: they rely on reports from people like you to know where violations are happening.

Take notes AND pictures! These can be useful later to prove that you saw what you did. See our Guide to Documentary Photography. If you’d like CWFNC to be able to use your photos, please download our Media Release Form.

Determine who you should contact to report the situation. Understand that not all pollution is illegal – but individuals or companies typically need permits to pollute, which come from various agencies. Many environmental problems can be reported by contacting the appropriate division within your regional Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) office. If you try to contact the appropriate division and they don’t respond to your concerns, please contact us at our Durham office: 919-401-9600.

Contact us directly to report an environmental concern in your community. As always, our staff is here to provide resources, education, help with organizing, and technical assistance to community members facing environmental harms. Please use our Clean Water for NC Storybank to inform us of your situation, and a member of our team will be in touch with you shortly.

List of Divisions within Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ):

Division of Air Quality: air emissions, incinerators, odor control, open burning

Division of Water Resources: surface water pollution, groundwater pollution

Division of Environmental Health: public water systems (water treatment plants, and wells serving more than 25 residents)

Division of Waste Management: underground storage tanks, landfills, incinerators, septic management, composting

Division of Land Resources: erosion and sediment control

NC Department of Environmental Quality Regional Offices:

Asheville Regional Office
2090 U.S. Hwy. 70
Swannanoa, NC 28778

828-296-4500
FAX 828-299-7043

Raleigh Regional Office
3800 Barrett Dr.
Raleigh, NC 27611

919-791-4200
FAX 919-571-4718

Wilmington Regional Office
127 Cardinal Drive Extension
Wilmington, NC 28405

910-796-7215
FAX 910-350-2004

Fayetteville Regional Office
Systel Building,
225 Green St., Suite 714
Fayetteville, NC 28301-5094

910-433-3300
FAX 910-486-0707

Washington Regional Office
943 Washington Square Mall
Washington, NC 27889

252-946-6481
FAX 252-975-3716

Winston Salem Regional Office
450 West Hanes Mill Road, Suite 300
Winston-Salem, NC 27105

336-776-9800 / (Fax) 336-776-9797

Mooresville Regional Office
610 East Center Ave.
Mooresville, NC 28115

704-663-1699
FAX 704-663-6040