Oklahoma Signs Settlement With George's Inc.

LINCOLN, Neb. (DTN) -- The state of Oklahoma reached a settlement with George's Inc. to resolve claims the company polluted the Illinois River watershed with phosphorous and bacteria through waste generated from poultry and applied to lands in the watershed, as part of an ongoing lawsuit in federal court.

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 or the court would decide how to do it.

According to a settlement announced by the Oklahoma attorney general on Wednesday, George's agreed to pay $5 million to the state for remediation and conservation projects, along with attorney fees.

The company also "commits" to remove poultry litter from the watershed during the next seven years, "progressively reducing" the amount remaining from no more than 40% to no more than 20%, according to the agreement.

George's will also pay $250,000 for a special master to monitor compliance and agrees that litter removed from the watershed will not be applied to land in any other "nutrient-sensitive" watersheds in Oklahoma.

The state has agreed to release all claims against George's, according to a news release from the state.

Oklahoma sued Tyson Foods Inc.; Tyson Poultry Inc.; Tyson Chicken Inc.; Cobb-Vantress Inc.; Cal-Maine Foods Inc.; Cargill Inc.; Cargill Turkey Production LLC; George's Inc.; George's Farms Inc.; Peterson Farms Inc.; 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 Tyson Foods, Cobb Vantress, Cargill, George's, Simmons, Peterson Farms and Cal-Maine to fund decades of cleanup and imposed strict restrictions on waste application practices.

"The settlement with George's does not affect ongoing proceedings involving the other defendants," the state of Oklahoma said on Wednesday.

In November 2025, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond called out Tyson for conducting what he alleged was a "coordinated misinformation" campaign since the court ruled against the companies recently. Read about that here: https://www.dtnpf.com/….

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.

"This settlement demonstrates that fair, good-faith negotiations can produce outcomes that serve everyone's interests -- protecting Oklahoma's water resources while respecting the economic realities facing our agricultural partners," Drummond said in a statement.

"George's willingness to come to the table and work toward meaningful remediation, rather than prolonged litigation, reflects the kind of responsible corporate citizenship I hope to see from all parties in this case. I remain committed to working with all parties to achieve comprehensive solutions for the Illinois River watershed while preserving the economic vitality of Oklahoma's poultry producers."

Read more on DTN:

"Companies Want Runoff Case Dismissed," https://www.dtnpf.com/….

"Food Cos. Ordered to Cut Poultry Runoff," https://www.dtnpf.com/….

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

Follow him on social platform X @DTNeeley

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