Protecting and enhancing the quality of Missouri’s environment is the responsibility of the department’s Division of Environmental Quality. The division assists Missourians with these goals through the traditional roles of permitting, inspections and proactive efforts to revitalize contaminated sites for redevelopment. Through its regional offices, the department provides compliance assistance, permitting, inspections and other environmental expertise closest to where Missourians live and work. This division is responsible for protecting and enhancing Missouri’s water quality. The division certifies and tracks the required continuing education of all operators of public drinking water systems, wastewater systems and concentrated animal feeding operation waste management systems. The division works to ensure clean air, land and water by cleaning up pollution from the past, addressing pollution problems of today and identifying potential pollution issues of the future. The division administers five technical programs: air pollution control, environmental remediation, environmental services, waste management and water protection.