Ohio River's Last Ferries And A New Study Explores Acid Mine Drainage, Fly Ash On This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, two of coal’s pollutant legacies are acid mine drainage (the waste from mining coal) and fly ash (waste from burning coal). Studies show that storing fly ash with acid mine drainage can neutralize the acid, but a recent study found that the combination can be toxic. The contents depend on where the coal is mined. Jessica Lilly spoke with one of the researchers to find out more.

Also, in this show, before many bridges were built, and decades before cars were invented, the way to get across the sprawling Ohio River was by boat. There are only five remaining ferries left on the river today. As Liam Niemeyer reports, the boats that still chug along are the heartbeat for some small communities.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning