[DEQ] Have a question about a DEQ program? Call the Environmental Assistance Center

Have a question about a DEQ program? Call the Environmental Assistance Center

April 8, 2015

The DEQ’s call center, the Environmental Assistance Center (EAC), is nothing like that.

The EAC, home to five (helpful) live operators, is often the first point of contact for customers, and it leaves a good impression. Based on EAC phone statistics, most callers speak to an operator within 16 seconds, if not immediately. With an average 1,250 calls per month, public feedback about the EAC’s operators – Karen Gutting, Rose Woosely, Joli Collet, Tonya Schelter and Kristin Barger – remains positive.

This is a stark contrast from the norm. According to Consumer Reports, 67 percent of consumers hang up during service calls before their issues are ever addressed, and 71 percent are “tremendously annoyed” at not being able to get a real person on the phone.

Additionally, EAC operators go beyond directing callers to program staff and resolve many issues themselves. For instance, when Gutting receives a call about a seawall permit, she directs the caller to the appropriate permit webpage. If they have questions about an upcoming conference, she directs them to the conference webpage, sparing both staff and caller more time on the phone.

When necessary, EAC operators also go beyond environmental inquiries. Instead of informing a recent concerned caller that the DEQ does not handle unethical landlords, Schelter directed her to the state webpage for Tenants and Landlords and followed up with additional resources.

In addition to receiving standard calls from the public, the EAC answers daytime Pollution Emergency Alerting System calls as well as emergency dam safety calls. Collet recently received three such calls in one day, serving as a lifeline for on-the-ground staff.

When the phone isn’t ringing, operators are busy working on other individual duties, including developing and managing surveys, maintaining a staff directory, managing reports for the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA), and processing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. These additional tasks can be difficult to balance with calls, especially during high-call volume days.

With spring comes the EAC’s busy season. Common inquiries surround docks, seawalls, wetland construction projects and beach cleanups, among other seasonal issues. But even with the added call volume, operators will continue to provide the best service possible to help protect human health and the environment.

If you have a question for the EAC, call 800-662-9278.