Court grants Drummond’s request to stay judgment against poultry companies

OKLAHOMA CITY (Aug. 18, 2026) – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit has accepted Attorney General Gentner Dummond’s motion to stay the judgment against poultry corporations in light of the settlement he reached with the companies in July. The case will return to district court for the judgment to be released.

In July, Drummond announced a nearly $44 million settlement to resolve Oklahoma’s 21-year lawsuit against six companies over poultry litter pollution in the Illinois River Watershed. Tyson Foods, Cargill, George’s, Peterson Farms, Cal-Maine and Simmons Foods were found liable for the pollution.

“All parties came to the table to find a solution to protect Oklahoma’s water and to provide certainty for our poultry industry,” Drummond said. “The result is a balanced solution that protects our natural resources and supports one of Oklahoma’s most important industries.”

Under the settlement, the defendants will pay $41.67 million to an Environmental Relief Fund for watershed stewardship and litigation costs, pay $420,000 in penalties to the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality Revolving Fund, provide a combined $1.9 million Auditor Fund to pay for an independent compliance monitor and progressively reduce how much poultry litter removed from poultry houses each year is applied to land in the watershed.