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

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

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.