By FOX23.com News Staff
TULSA, Okla. — A federal judge has rejected a proposed settlement between the state of Oklahoma and several poultry companies in a long-running lawsuit over water pollution in the Illinois River watershed.
The state had been prepared to finalize an agreement with major processors, including Tyson Foods, Cargill and Simmons Foods. The proposal included financial penalties, a plan to clean up the Illinois River and continued monitoring of water quality and runoff.
In a ruling issued Wednesday, a federal judge in Tulsa threw out the settlement.
The case dates back more than two decades. Oklahoma filed the lawsuit in 2005, alleging poultry processors and their contract growers polluted the Illinois River with runoff containing chicken waste. A court later ruled the companies were legally responsible for the pollution.
Gov. Kevin Stitt said the decision prevents the state from resolving the case and raises concerns about uncertainty for poultry farmers in eastern Oklahoma.
The lawsuit has centered on pollution in the Illinois River watershed, where phosphorus from poultry waste has remained at elevated levels despite cleanup efforts outside the courtroom.
State officials have said they are now considering next steps following the ruling.
