Oklahoma’s Governor used the settlement by Attorney General with one of the firms sued over the poultry litter pollution of the Illinois Water Shed to suggest the AG should have done it years ago.
“I am glad to see Attorney General Drummond’s first settlement reflects the guardrails I put in my letter to him on November 25. This type of discussion should have happened three years ago when he came into office, not after his Grand Marshall Czar is formalized by the court to regulate growers without any say from elected officials or the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry,” stated Gov. Kevin Stitt in response to the attorney general’s announced settlement with George’s Inc., an Arkansas based poultry operation.
He and Gentner Drummond have been at political odds for the past few years and Gov. Stitt continued his criticism, noting the settlement boasted by the Attorney General only helps one grower in the state, not all the Oklahoma growers.
“Today I renew my call for Drummond to request a stay from Judge Frizzell to protect all growers and continue settlement discussions, bringing my Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of Environment to the table so that the state can be fully represented in protecting both domestic poultry supply and our natural resources,” added the governor in his released statement.
One farm group, the Oklahoma Farm Bureau also responded to the settlement announcement, but without any criticism of the attorney general.
““Oklahoma Farm Bureau members appreciate the negotiated settlement struck between the state of Oklahoma and George’s, Inc., in the state’s decades-long lawsuit against Arkansas-based poultry companies,” said Farm Bureau President Stacy Simunek in a released statements.