An Environmental Working Group report says the voluntary approach to conservation efforts to cut pollution from farm fields isn’t working. EWG Senior Vice President Craig Cox says their study looked at eight different watersheds in Iowa. He says many of the buffers installed to help prevent pollution were eventually plowed under.

He says it’s time to mandate landowners use simple, but effective practices to cut farm pollution. Cox says throwing money at voluntary programs isn’t improving water quality.

Cox says there are specific steps landowners can take to prevent pollution, including keeping 50 feet of vegetation between cropland and waterways to filter polluted runoff.

He says it’s also important livestock access be managed to prevent bank erosion and manure application on frozen ground should be banned.