February 19, 2010

Oklahoma poultry lawsuit wrapping up

Closing arguments were heard on Thursday (Feb 18) in Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson's lawsuit against large-scale poultry producers.

Filed in 2005, the federal lawsuit against 13 poultry companies in Oklahoma and Arkansas alleged the companies polluted the Illinois River Watershed by allowing bird waste from their facilities to flow into the one million-acre watershed.

"The record had to be made, and we put the evidence in, the experts, and the testimony necessary to establish that there had been violations of both federal and state law and that they've adversely impacted the river - and we need the help of the courts to correct it," Edmondson said.

For their part, defendants in the case have argued that they are not responsible for water pollution in the watershed. But rather a dozen wastewater treatment plants in the watershed are to blame.

Defendants in the lawsuit are: Tyson Foods Inc., Tyson Poultry Inc., Tyson Chicken Inc., Cobb-Vantress Inc., Cal-Maine Foods Inc., Cargill Inc., Cargill Turkey Production LLC., George's Inc., George's Farms Inc., Peterson Farms, Simmons Foods Inc., Cal-Maine Farms Inc. and Willow Brook Foods Inc.

Edmondson has said regardless of how the case is settled, it will be appealed to the 10th US Circuit Court of Appeals.