The latest settlement offer in the over twenty year old Illinois River Watershed Poultry Litter lawsuit has been agreed to by all of the Poultry Companies named in the case and by the state of Oklahoma.
The seven year agreement calls for a total of $41.6 million to be paid to the State of Oklahoma – and according to the settlement agreement, that amount includes all state attorney fees.
The balance of the $41.6 million after attorney fees will be administered by the Oklahoma Conservation Commission for riparian and other environmental projects deemed necessary. In addition, poultry companies will provide funding for contract farmers whose properties necessitate the creation of riparian easements to prevent runoff. The documentation of how much poultry litter farmers are selling out of the watershed will be standardized and verified through an auditor.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has signed off on the settlement representing the state of Oklahoma, with Tyson Poultry, Tyson Chicken, , Cobb-Ventress, Cal-Maine Foods, Cargill, George’s, Peterson Farms and Simmons Foods all agreeing to the settlement.
Oklahoma State Representative David Hardin has issued a statement on his Facebook page thanking all of the companies for continuing to negotiate with the state to attempt to find a deal that works for the companies, the state and poultry contract growers who support the economy of several northeastern Oklahoma counties.
Rep. Hardin admits that US District Judge Gregory Frizzell has rejected earlier settlements between the state and the companies- including his most recent rejection in April of this year. What is different about this settlement is that all of the companies named in the litigation have signed onto this proposal. According to Non Doc as they reported on the April rejection- “Frizzell said the settlements with the other companies lacked sufficient funding to provide remediation for phosphorous pollution caused by chicken waste runoff into the watershed. Frizzell also said the proposed settlements did not hold those responsible for phosphorus pollution accountable through civil penalties, nor would the proposed settlements do enough to mitigate ongoing pollution from chicken farming operations. Noting that remediation could take at least 30 years, Frizzell also said the proposed duration of the arrangements would not be long enough to address existing issues.
Rep. Hardin says he is hopeful that this settlement will be be accepted by the court.
The latest settlement has been offered to the US District Court as of July 10, 2026. Read the complete document below:
