Have you discovered possible illegal polluting activities near your community or place of work?
Underfunded government agencies rely on complaints from people like you to know where pollution is 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. Use our contact us page 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 Public Health: Environmental Health Section: 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
Run-off from the construction of the Moriah Energy Center pollutes an NC stream, captured in a photo by a local landowner.
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