Oklahoma is pressing forward with efforts to hold major poultry companies financially accountable for decades of pollution in the Illinois River watershed. Attorney General Gentner Drummond has asked a federal judge to impose tens of millions of dollars in fines and implement a court-supervised cleanup effort, targeting companies like Tyson Foods, Simmons Foods, and Cargill.
The legal battle began in 2005 when the state sued the poultry industry for dumping excessive waste that led to phosphorus contamination, triggering algae blooms and degrading water quality in the river. Though the trial occurred over a decade ago, a ruling did not arrive until 2023 when the judge sided with the state, concluding the companies knowingly contributed to long-term environmental harm.
Since then, the court was asked to revisit whether the issues remained relevant or if industry practices had changed. In June, the judge reaffirmed that pollution was still occurring, allowing the case to move into the penalty phase.
Under the state’s proposed final judgment, the companies would be banned from applying poultry litter to land already saturated with phosphorus in the Illinois River watershed and other nutrient-sensitive areas. A court-appointed special master would be put in charge of overseeing cleanup, monitoring, and enforcement, with the companies required to fund the process. An initial $10 million deposit would support these efforts, with replenishment required when the fund dips below $5 million. Cleanup strategies could include soil removal, new wetlands construction, waste removal, and water treatment upgrades, with full remediation potentially taking decades.
Oklahoma is also seeking the maximum financial penalties under state anti-pollution laws, dating back to the late 1990s. The proposed fines would total nearly $29 million for Tyson, more than $27 million for Simmons, $23.7 million for Cargill, $18.2 million for Cal-Maine Foods, and $5.2 million for George’s Inc.—all separate from cleanup costs and funding for the court-appointed monitor.
The poultry companies have until July 30 to respond to the proposal, with the state’s reply due by August 11.
The case has stirred political tension. Last December, Governor Kevin Stitt removed the state’s Secretary of Energy and Environment following his attendance at a key court hearing and replaced him with a corporate attorney who criticized the lawsuit as harmful to business. That attorney, now running for state attorney general in 2026, echoes the governor’s concern that a successful lawsuit could damage the state’s economy. Meanwhile, Drummond, who is pursuing a bid for governor, continues to champion the case as a necessary step to protect Oklahoma’s natural resources.
