THAT cackling you hear coming from northeastern Oklahoma isn't being generated by the scores of chicken farms in the region, but by litigants involved in a lawsuit over chicken waste and water quality.
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Attorney General Drew Edmondson and representatives of the poultry industry turned up the volume last week in their 2-year-old battle. Edmondson asked a federal judge in Tulsa to order chicken farms to stop the practice of spreading litter in the Illinois River watershed. Poultry reps called that move nothing more than a public relations ploy.
Edmondson, who filed suit against the poultry industry in 2005, contends it has been reckless in dumping its waste, which in turn has contributed to high levels of bacteria in the watershed. He argues in his motion that the industry is endangering not just local residents who rely on well water, but the 155,000 tourists who use the various waterways each year. "These bacteria can cause a myriad of gastrointestinal illnesses and infections through ingestion and skin contact,” he said. "We need the court to stop the dumping of waste to protect public health and the safety of the state's water resources.”
Jackie Cunningham, spokeswoman for the Poultry Community Council, labeled Edmondson's allegations "scare tactics and exaggerations” and said her side doesn't know of even one person becoming sick as a result of chicken litter being used as fertilizer in the watershed. "These are the same kind of generalities Mr. Edmondson has been using in legal proceedings against the poultry industry ...,” she said.
Edmondson is seeking a January hearing on his injunction request. It surely won't be the last courtroom visit, as prospects for settlement only seem to grow more remote as the volume of rhetoric increases. We've generally been supportive of the AG in this case. Win or lose, his efforts have drawn needed attention to declining water quality in the state's most scenic rivers.
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Yes James, that is true - there are wild animals and vegetation that also effect are streams and rivers. Nature has the ability to treat pollutants in normal levels. The problem arises when there are concentrated amounts of waste disposed in a close proximity to the water shed. There is hard science which shows that the waste must be disposed of properly to keep it out of the watershed. To do that the people making their fortune farming must do their part to protect the water supply or else the government will intervene. They can take your land using imminant domain. The pollutants coming from the fertilyzer include high levels of phosphorus, nitrogen, and fecal coliform bacteria more specifically called Ecoli, which absolutely makes people sick!
A lot of things are expelled from the various animals and fish and what ever. These generally go on to some ones water shed. None of these (varmints) are considered dangerous?
By the way Margaret from Holdenville, I guess you have hard science backing your suggestion regarding what we bad farmers are discharging into the gulf.
They need to just put the chicken litter in bags and sell it to WalMart so people can use it in their gardens. It is not just the bacteria, the high levels of nutrients in our waterways from agricultural runoff affects even the Gulf of Mexico.
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By the way Margaret from Holdenville, I guess you have hard science backing your suggestion regarding what we bad farmers are discharging into the gulf.