Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Stacy Simunek released the following statement after the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma rejected the state of Oklahoma’s negotiated settlement with four poultry companies that would have settled charges against the companies in the decades-old 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 are greatly disappointed by the U.S. District Court’s rejection of the negotiated settlement between four poultry companies and the state of Oklahoma in the decades-old poultry lawsuit.
“The settlements that were negotiated in good faith and then rejected by the court would have provided a workable path forward to ensure clean water in the watershed for all Oklahomans while providing a way for our contract poultry farmers to continue their critical job of raising food.
“Our members are frustrated that the court chose to ignore the years of dedicated effort the agriculture community has undertaken since the case was originally filed as ag producers have increased efficiency, followed state-approved nutrient management plans for poultry farms, implemented voluntary conservation methods and moved litter out of the watershed.
“Without a settlement or a path forward, these family poultry producers stand to lose their poultry contracts, and many will soon face the difficult reality of declaring bankruptcy even though they have followed every applicable law and regulation.
“OKFB will continue to advocate for the family poultry producers who have done everything asked of them yet still find themselves in the crosshairs of a court judgment that is based on information that is now more than 20 years old.”
