Tyson, Cargill Reach $25M Settlement

LINCOLN, Neb. (DTN) -- Tyson Foods and Cargill agreed to settlements totaling more than $25 million with the state of Oklahoma in a long-fought lawsuit on poultry litter pollution into the Illinois River watershed.

In January 2023, the U.S. District Court for the District of Northern Oklahoma, ordered food companies including George's to reduce poultry litter pollution into the Illinois River in northwest Arkansas and northeast Oklahoma. The companies and the state of Oklahoma were ordered to agree on a remedy to reduce pollution.

In a judgement filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Northern Oklahoma on Thursday, Tyson agreed to pay $19 million for remediation and conservation of the watershed while Cargill Inc. and Cargill Turkey Production will pay $6.5 million.

The remaining companies yet to settle are Cal-Maine, Peterson Farms and Simmons Foods Inc., according to a news release from the Oklahoma attorney general's office.

Nathan McKay, president of poultry for Tyson, said in a statement the company was ready to move on.

"Tyson Foods has reached a settlement with the state of Oklahoma to resolve the long-running Illinois River watershed dispute," he said.

"We believe this resolution is in the best interest of our growers and their communities in northeast Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas. Tyson Foods is fortunate to have been a part of the agricultural community in the region for our entire 90-year history and we are deeply grateful for the support we have received from our growers, our neighbors and elected leaders in both states to achieve this resolution. We are pleased to move forward with our growers in Oklahoma and Arkansas to focus together on our mission of feeding the world like family."

Cargill released the following statement: "Cargill appreciates the engagement of the Oklahoma attorney general, the state of Oklahoma and local stakeholders in bringing this matter to a fair and reasonable resolution. We look forward to continuing to work and invest in Oklahoma."

Tyson and Cargill both agreed to progressively increase the amount of poultry litter removed from the watershed, to pay into a special compliance and remediation funds, and to dismiss their appeals in the case the companies filed following a judgement by the court on Dec. 19, 2026.

In January 2026, the state announced a $5 million settlement in the case with George's Inc.

Oklahoma originally sued Tyson, Cobb-Vantress Inc., Cal-Maine, Cargill, George's, Peterson Farms and Simmons Foods Inc.

According to Save The Illinois River Inc., as of 2019 there were 398 farms in the Arkansas counties of Benton and Washington, with the capacity to house more than 42 million birds at 1,835 poultry houses.

The Oklahoma counties of Adair, Cherokee and Delaware are in the watershed. As of 2018, poultry producers in those Oklahoma counties reported a licensed bird capacity of about 23.3 million at 1,054 poultry houses.

In December 2025, the federal court issued a judgment holding poultry corporations jointly responsible and required them to fund decades of cleanup and imposed strict restrictions on waste application practices.

The companies sought to dismiss the case that has been ongoing for more than 20 years, in a court filing in October 2023. At that time, the companies argued any penalties or relief of any kind would be based on outdated information as to pollution levels and other watershed issues.

Read more on DTN:

"Oklahoma Signs Settlement With George's Inc.," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

Todd Neeley can be reached at todd.neeley@dtn.com.

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