What government agency regulates water pollution?
On a federal level, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) is in charge of making sure federal laws like the Clean Water Act are being followed. Since pollution comes from so many different sources, however, many additional agencies at all levels of government are also involved. For example, the US EPA delegates its authority to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) for regulating industrial discharges and landfill operations. The potential pollution from on-site sewage disposal systems is under the jurisdiction of county health districts, and pollution from large livestock farms is regulated by the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Urbanized jurisdictions are moving into a regulatory role for things like construction site erosion, and unlawful discharges to municipal storm sewer systems.

Will I get sick if I eat fish caught in local rivers?
Some species of fish do have “consumption advisories,” a recommendation from the state about how much fish you could eat safely. Sometimes the advice depends on where the fish were caught. For specific information, go to www.epa.state.oh.us/dsw/fishadvisory/.