Attorney General Gentner Drummond called on April 7 for a federal court to quickly approve settlements totaling more than $31 million aimed at cleaning up poultry litter pollution in the Illinois River Watershed. Drummond said that each day without a ruling risks undoing agreements reached after months of negotiations.
The case centers on proposed settlements with Cargill, George’s, Peterson Farms, and Tyson. These agreements are uncontested but remain pending until the district court issues a decision. Drummond warned that the lack of approval means settlement terms are not yet in effect.
“Cargill, George’s, Peterson Farms and Tyson did the right thing. They came to the table and worked hard to reach agreements that will deliver real remediation to the Illinois River Watershed. The court owes it to the people of Oklahoma to approve these agreements without delay,” Drummond said. He added, “The door to a fair and reasonable settlement remains open to the hold-out defendants, Simmons and Cal-Maine, as well. Their co-defendants found a path forward. They should too.”
To protect these settlements, filings were made in both the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma and in the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals urging action on pending matters related to Simmons and Cal-Maine’s obligations in this case. Drummond also informed the district court that if relief is granted for Simmons and Cal-Maine as part of any motion by settling defendants, Oklahoma may withdraw all current settlements—forcing all parties back into litigation.
The lawsuit State of Oklahoma v. Tyson Foods was filed in 2005 over phosphorus runoff from poultry litter polluting the watershed; a final judgment issued by Judge Gregory Frizzell in December 2025 held all defendants jointly liable with an order for a long-term remediation program.
The Oklahoma Attorney General focuses on combating crime, ensuring government transparency, strengthening tribal relations, supporting energy sector policies and educational safeguards, collaborating with state and federal partners against organized crime, and operates within public legal services based in Oklahoma according to the official biography. Gentner Drummond leads this office leveraging extensive legal experience.
