The big picture: The case has been a cloud over poultry companies and growers in the Illinois River Watershed since 2005, while also shaping a long-running fight over water quality in eastern Oklahoma and Northwest Arkansas.
Driving the news: The proposed seven-year deal would require Tyson Foods, Cargill, George's, Peterson Farms, Cal-Maine and Simmons Foods to pay nearly $44 million, including $41.7 million into an environmental relief fund, $420,000 in penalties and $1.9 million for an independent compliance monitor.
Details: The companies would gradually reduce how much poultry litter from houses is applied within the watershed, eventually dropping to no more than 20%.
They also would help fund vegetative buffer strips meant to reduce runoff.
Between the lines: The new proposal appears designed to answer U.S. District Judge Gregory Frizzell's criticisms of earlier settlements he rejected this spring, including that the prior deals did not cover every defendant or fully address cleanup, KOSU reported.
The other side: Farm groups and the Poultry Federation welcomed a possible end to the uncertainty, while Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt criticized Drummond and warned the deal could encourage future lawsuits against agriculture.
What we're watching: Whether Frizzell approves the settlement.
