In Ohio, Big Industry Is Paying Small Farmers To Cut River Pollution

Published November 17, 2016 at 1:52 PM EST

Ken Merrick and his wife, Natsuko, on their farm in eastern Ohio. (Julie Grant/The Allegheny Front)

The Ohio River runs over 980 miles long, flowing through or bordering six states. Farm waste is a major source of pollution in the Ohio River watershed.

One group thinks it has an answer for controlling the pollution. But, as Julie Grant (@AFrontJulie) of Here & Now contributor The Allegheny Front reports, some say the program is really just a “pay-to-pollute” scheme.

This story is part of The Allegheny Front’s Headwaters series exploring the Ohio River watershed, in collaboration with West Virginia Public Broadcasting and funded by the Benedum Foundation.

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