Right-To-Know Procedure

Effective May 1, 2018, the DEP Right-to-Know office will require prepayment for all Right-to-Know requests where costs are incurred. Requesters will be provided with an estimate on the cost of copying, flash drives, postage, etc., prior to duplication and mailing.

DEP now offers streamlined alternatives to a Right-To-Know request that are easier to submit and result in quicker turnaround time.  Before filing a Right-To-Know request, consider using one of the following options:

• The Environmental Site Assessment Search Tool is a Geographical Information System (GIS) tool that allows consultants conducting Phase I environmental site assessments and interested members of the public access to access information maintained by DEP concerning permitting, licensing, inspection, compliance, discharges of pollution, regulated storage tanks, site remediation, and enforcement. Users can search for information regarding a specific target property and information about other properties of interest within a specified radius.  The results of the search may satisfy the needs of the assessment or can be used to create a more targeted Informal or Right-To-Know request. 


• Informal File Review is a simple, electronic form allowing consultants to request information maintained by DEP for specific areas of interest such as programs, sites, permits, and/or time frames. Informal File Reviews may be submitted stand-alone if enough information is known by the consultant or may be used in conjunction with the Environmental Site Assessment Tool to create a targeted request based on the results of an assessment search.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are seeking information about any of the following DEP topics, please click on the links below:

• Asbestos
• Bulk Storage
• Dams
• Data and Tools
• Dry Cleaner Lists
• Encroachments
• Hazardous Waste Management Facilities
• Landfills
• Marcellus Shale and Fracking
• Mine Subsidence
• Check for Risk
• Mine Subsidence Insurance
• Oil and Gas Permits and Wells
• Pennsylvania's Environment Facility Application Compliance Tracking System (eFACTS)
• Pipelines
• Quarries
• Radon/Radiation Protection
• Remedial Sites
• Reports
• Residual Waste
• Spill Incidents
• Stormwater Runoff
• Streams
• Statewide Existing Use Classifications
• Stream Assessment Notifications
• Stream Redesignations
• Water Quality Standards

Please visit DEP's Site Map page for a complete listing of the content available on our website.

• Site Map

Information about the subjects below can be found on other Commonwealth of Pennsylvania websites.

• Building Violations
• Chemical Listings
• Court Documents
• Mold
• Police Reports

Please note that private wells are NOT regulated by DEP.

To obtain access to DEP information under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law (RTKL), you can complete the online form listed below and submit it electronically, or print it out and email it or fax it to 717-705-8023, or mail it to the Agency Open Records Officer ("AORO") at: Agency Open Records Officer, DEP/BOS, PO Box 8473, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8473 or you can contact the Agency Open Records Officer at 717-787-7397.

RTKL requests are not considered submitted if sent to anyone other than at the contact information above.

RTKL document requests are for public records, unless subject to an exemption from disclosure under the RTKL. Also, in the event of an appeal to the Office of Open Records (OOR) from an agency denial of a RTKL request, the OOR may consider the request, the appeal and any other records to be public.

• PA Office of Open Records
• Governor's Amended Management Directive 205.36 – Right-to-Know Law (PDF)
• Public Access to Information and Right to Know Law Policy (PDF)

Click Here to Complete the Right-To-Know Online Form