Drummond: End in sight for Oklahoma's longest running lawsuit

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KFOR) - An 18-year-old lawsuit between the State of Oklahoma and a group of poultry companies may have an end in sight.

In 2005, then-Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson filed a lawsuit against 13 poultry companies and subsidiaries for improper disposal of litter.

As a result of their actions, the state claimed that Oklahoma waterways, particularly the Illinois River watershed and Lake Tenkiller, suffered environmental damage.

In January, a federal judge ruled in favor of the state.

Before issuing a judgement on remedies to solve the problem, the judge ordered the state and the companies to attempt to reach a mutual agreement.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond agreed, saying he wants to find a solution for clean water without injuring the poultry industry.

“We need a standard,” he said. “But if this is the standard we need to have, you don’t need to have it today. Let’s set a plan to get there because, right now, we’re polluting the crap out of our water. And yes, it’s not all poultry, but poultry is the significant part.”

Now, the Oklahoma Ecology Project says retired Tenth Circuit Chief Judge Deanel Tacha will help bring a solution between the parties.

Drummond says he believes Tacha is the right person for the job.

"This federal judge, she's sharp, and she is well versed in environmental law," Drummond said.

He says he is confident she would embrace the findings of fact in the case and get negotiations on track.

Tacha is known for her 20 years of service on the Tenth Circuit. After retiring, she was named Dean of the Pepperdine University School of Law.