Attorney General Gentner Drummond has publicly criticized Governor Kevin Stitt over the handling of ongoing litigation related to pollution in the Illinois River watershed. The case, State of Oklahoma v. Tyson Foods, Inc., was initiated in 2005 and seeks to hold large poultry companies responsible for phosphorus contamination caused by chicken waste.
Earlier this year, a federal court determined that the Illinois River watershed continues to suffer from excessive phosphorus levels linked to poultry operations. In his response, Drummond questioned Governor Stitt’s commitment to cooperation on the issue. He pointed out that Stitt dismissed his own Secretary of Energy and Environment after the official attended a hearing about the case in December 2024.
“Your actions speak louder than words: you are bought and paid for by out-of-state Big Poultry corporations,” Drummond wrote in a letter addressed to Governor Stitt. “These companies have poured money into your political campaigns, and now you are doing their bidding—seeking a sweetheart deal that puts their profits ahead of Oklahoma’s people, our farmers, and our land.”
Drummond stated his support for agriculture while stressing the need to hold corporate polluters accountable. “I am firmly pro-agriculture and deeply committed to Oklahoma’s farm families, but I will not turn a blind eye when out-of-state Big Poultry companies ignore the rule of law, abuse our land, and put excessive profits over the hardworking men and women who make this industry possible. You may be beholden to out-of-state Big Poultry’s money, but I am beholden to the people of our state,” he said.
The attorney general indicated he is open to reaching an equitable solution but affirmed his intention not to relent in pursuing accountability from major poultry corporations.