Kevin Stitt–
“I am glad to see Attorney General Drummond’s first settlement reflects the guardrails I put in my letter to him on November 25. This type of discussion should have happened three years ago when he came into office, not after his Grand Marshall Czar is formalized by the court to regulate growers without any say from elected officials or the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.
This new settlement only helps one grower in Oklahoma, and my concern is for all Oklahoma growers. Today I renew my call for Drummond to request a stay from Judge Frizzell to protect all growers and continue settlement discussions, bringing my Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of Environment to the table so that the state can be fully represented in protecting both domestic poultry supply and our natural resources.”
OKFB statement regarding George’s settlement-
Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Stacy Simunek released the following statement after Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced a settlement had been reached with Arkansas-based poultry company George’s, Inc., in the State of Oklahoma v. Tyson Foods, Inc., et al., lawsuit regarding the application of chicken litter in the Illinois River Watershed.
“Oklahoma Farm Bureau members appreciate the negotiated settlement struck between the state of Oklahoma and George’s, Inc., in the state’s decades-long lawsuit against Arkansas-based poultry companies.
“Farm Bureau members have believed all along that there is a place for reasonable negotiations that will protect family farmers’ abilities to produce poultry and judiciously apply poultry litter according to their state-approved nutrient management plans while ensuring our shared natural resources are protected.
“We encourage the state to continue its good-faith eGorts to negotiate with the remaining poultry companies named in the lawsuit to find common-sense, reasonable solutions that benefit all Oklahomans and residents of the watershed instead of an overreaching settlement that does not take into account the focused conservation eGorts family poultry producers have undertaken in the 20 years since the lawsuit was originally filed.
“We will continue to stay engaged with family poultry producers until this issue is legally resolved to help ensure future generations of Oklahoma farmers and ranchers can continue to produce the aGordable food that we all rely upon.
