Judge extends agreement date for Oklahoma poultry lawsuit

A federal judge has granted a motion to extend the agreement date for a lawsuit brought by the State of Oklahoma against several poultry companies. The lawsuit alleges that the companies are responsible for environmental damage caused by the release of polluted wastewater from their chicken operations.

Judge Gregory K. Frizzell of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma granted the State’s motion to extend the agreement date, allowing the parties more time to reach a resolution of the case. The original agreement date was set to expire on December 31, 2020, but the new agreement date is now February 28, 2021.

The lawsuit, which was filed in 2017, claims that the poultry companies have released poultry waste and other pollutants into the Illinois River watershed, which flows through Oklahoma and Arkansas. The State alleges that the pollutants have caused environmental damage in the form of algal blooms, fish kills, and decreased water quality.

The State is seeking monetary damages for the alleged environmental harm, as well as injunctive relief requiring the companies to take steps to mitigate the problem. The parties have been engaged in settlement discussions since early 2019, and the State has previously asked the court to extend the agreement date on multiple occasions.

Judge Frizzell granted the State’s latest motion to extend the agreement date, finding that the extension was necessary to allow the parties to continue negotiations. The Court noted that the parties had made progress in the negotiations and that the extension would allow the parties to work towards a resolution of the case.

The extension of the agreement date will allow the parties to continue to negotiate a resolution of the case, and the State will have additional time to pursue its claims against the poultry companies. The parties are set to meet for a settlement conference on February 18, 2021.

The suit is State of Oklahoma v. Tyson Foods, Inc., et al., Case No. 4:17-cv-00761-GKF in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma.

In a ruling issued on December 29, 2020, Judge Gregory K. Frizzell of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma granted the State of Oklahoma’s motion to extend the agreement date in its lawsuit against several poultry companies, thereby affording the parties more time to reach a resolution of the case. The lawsuit, filed in 2017, alleges that the poultry companies have released pollutants, including poultry waste, into the Illinois River watershed, causing environmental damage. The State is seeking monetary damages and injunctive relief, and the parties have been engaged in settlement discussions since early 2019. The Court determined that the extension was necessary to allow the parties to continue negotiations, citing the progress that had been made in the negotiations. The agreement date has been extended to February 28, 2021, and the parties will meet for a settlement conference on February 18, 2021.