Chesapeake Bay group sues Perdue, contract growers

The Assateague Coastal Trust, a Chesapeake Bay conservation group, has filed suit in Maryland District Court against Perdue Farms and one of its contractors for alleged pollution of the bay’s water, according to The Washington Post. The suit says that large amounts of bacteria and pollutants are washing into the watershed from a poultry farm near Berlin, Md., owned by Alan and Kristin Hudson, that supplies chickens to Perdue. It calls for an estimated $300,000 in fines for alleged Clean Water Act violations, as well as remedial action.
Perdue and the Hudsons did not comment on the suit.

Judge allows pollution reports in poultry trial

The federal judge in the Oklahoma vs. poultry companies lawsuit is allowing government attorneys to submit reports on issues with chicken waste in the Illinois River watershed, according to reports.
Previously, opposing council convinced U.S. District Judge Gregory Frizzell to leave out some of the pollution reports.
Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson argued the poultry companies did not flag the reports as problematic before the trial, whereas attorneys for the poultry companies called the reports political.

Cherokee too late in suit against poultry producers

A federal judge ruled the Cherokee Nation may not be party to an Oklahoma lawsuit against poultry producers, according to reports.
U.S. District Court Judge Gregory Frizzell said he would have allowed the tribe to intervene had the request been timely.
Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson is suing 12 poultry companies, in a claim that chicken waste contaminated the Illinois River watershed.
The Cherokee Nation plans to appeal the decision.
Defendants in the lawsuit include Tyson, Cargill and Cal-Maine.

Potential jurors for Illinois River lawsuit to answer questionnaire

Poultry companies named in the Illinois river watershed pollution case have prepared a list of 66 questions for potential jurors, including whether they eat organic food or know who Attorney General Drew Edmondson is, according to new reports.
Oklahoma will get a jury trial, to begin in September, based on a ruling from U.S. District Judge Gregory Frizzell.
The 12 poultry companies being sued by the state, including Tyson, wanted a bench trial.
Court documents show the poultry companies and the state agreed upon allowing a questionnaire when screening for jurors, in the case of a jury trial.
The questions also include where the potential jurors work and their level of education.

Edmondson accused of improper watershed deal

Poultry companies in Oklahoma claimed that Attorney General Drew Edmondson did not have the authority to approve an arrangement with the Cherokee Nation regarding the Illinois River Watershed during a hearing in Tulsa, according to a news report.
Though the companies requested the U.S. District Court to throw out Edmondson's agreement with the Tahlequah, Okla.-based tribe, Judge Greg Frizzell made no ruling. The agreement signed on May 19 was an aspect of the suit filed against Tyson Foods and seven other poultry companies by the attorney general, who accuses them of polluting the watershed.