Arkansas company settles pollution case with Oklahoma
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Chickens gather around a feeder at a farm in 2014 in Osage, Iowa. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond signed a settlement agreement with George's Inc. of Springdale in a poultry litter lawsuit that has lingered for more than 20 years.
Why it matters: The settlement will reduce the amount of phosphorus entering the Illinois River Watershed, where excess nutrients fuel algae growth that depletes oxygen and harms aquatic life.
State of play: George's agreed to pay Oklahoma $5 million and implement a phased reduction of the amount of poultry litter its contract farmers apply as fertilizer in the Illinois River Watershed.
- The settlement sets a stepped approach: No more than 40% of litter coming from George's contract farms will be spread on cropland in the watershed during the first two years of the agreement.
- The amount drops to 30% in years three and four and 20% in years five, six and seven.
- No litter coming from the watershed will be applied in any of Oklahoma's nutrient-sensitive watersheds.
George's will also pay $250,000 to help fund a special master to monitor the company's compliance.
Catch up quick: In 2005, Oklahoma's then-attorney general filed the lawsuit against 11 Arkansas poultry companies.
- Following a 2010 trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, the judge did not immediately file a decision.
- In a 2023 ruling, the judge ordered the companies to collectively work on an agreement with Oklahoma.
- No agreement was reached, and a judgment was entered in December 2025.
The companies — including Tyson Foods, Simmons Foods, Cargill, Cal-Maine Foods and many of their subsidiaries — filed an appeal in Denver this month.
- George's agreed to drop its appeal if the settlement is approved by the judge.
What they're not saying: George's and Tyson did not respond to Axios' requests for comment.
What we're watching: Tyson recently said it won't renew contracts with farmers to grow chickens in the Illinois River Watershed, saying the area is "no longer a hospitable place to do business."