OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) — Tyson Foods said it was “very disappointed” after U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell rejected proposed settlement agreements meant to end major pieces of Oklahoma’s decades-old Illinois River Watershed poultry-litter lawsuit.
“Tyson Foods (Tyson) is very disappointed that the District Court has rejected the settlement between Tyson and Attorney General Drummond,” the company said in a statement provided to OBV. “We strongly agree with Attorney General Drummond that this settlement is in the best interest of the State of Oklahoma, will bring much needed certainty to growers, and appropriately balances the environmental and economic interests of Northeast Oklahoma. Although the ruling is a setback, we are not giving up. We will continue to work in good faith with Attorney General Drummond to find a way to put this dispute behind us.”
Frizzell’s order rejected proposed deals negotiated by Attorney General Gentner Drummond with Tyson and other poultry companies in the long-running case, which began in 2005 and centers on poultry waste management and phosphorus runoff in the watershed.
Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Stacy Simunek said members were “greatly disappointed,” calling the rejected settlements a “workable path forward” for clean water and continued operations for contract poultry farmers.
Sen. Tom Woods, R-Westville, said the decision was “incredibly disheartening” and renewed uncertainty for Northeast Oklahoma families tied to poultry production.
Separately, Rep. David Hardin, R-Stilwell, released a statement regarding the ruling.
“The Attorney General and his team worked to bring forward settlement agreements that would have provided a clearer path forward in this case. Those agreements reflected months of negotiation and an effort to bring stability to a situation that has remained unresolved for far too long,” he said. “With the court declining to move those agreements forward, the uncertainty surrounding this case continues, and it’s being felt most by the families who rely on poultry production to make a living. I am urging the Attorney General to consider withdrawing the lawsuit so we can prevent further economic strain on rural communities and avoid pushing more families to the brink.”
