February 19, 2010
Tyson Foods, Cargill on Trial for Polluting Illinois Watershed
Eleven Arkansas poultry companies including Tyson Foods and Cargill are on trial for disposing of millions of tons of chicken litter by giving it to local crop farmers as fertilizer, which allegedly has harmed the Illinois watershed shared by Oklahoma and Arkansas as well as Lake Tenkiller, reports AP (via New York Times).
Closing arguments began Thursday (Feb. 18) with the state of Oklahoma stating that it had scientifically proven that the poultry farms are directly responsible for the large amounts of phosphorous in the watershed, and for turning Lake Tenkiller into a “green, slimy mess,” reports News on 6.
The state is asking the U.S. District Judge to limit the amount of poultry waste that can be applied to fields in the Illinois River watershed to not more than 65 pounds per acre, and to remove the excess waste that cannot be applied to the land from the watershed, reports Tulsa World. The state is also asking that the defendants pay for the remediation of the watershed, plaintiff’s attorney fees, litigation costs and unspecified civil penalties, according to the article.
The Oklahoma Attorney General’s office says on average 125,000 birds are bred each year on just one poultry farm, which translates into 2.7 million tons of waste between 2001 and 2006.
In response, the poultry industry says the state’s math is wrong and the real cause of the phosphorous are the 12 wastewater treatment plants inside the watershed, citing the high phosphorus rates at one field not treated with chicken litter, reports News on 6.
Attorneys for the poultry companies said in the article that Oklahoma failed to produce evidence that the waste threatens people or the environment.
The other defendants named in the lawsuit are Cal-Maine Foods, Cobb-Vantress, George’s Inc., George’s Farms, Peterson Farms and Simmons Foods.
Stay Up-to-Date On Environmental Management, Energy & Sustainability News with EL's Free Daily Newsletter
Advertisers
100% Online Lean & Green Supply Chain Courses
Attain proven tools and strategies to boost your career! >>
Demystifying EPA’s Final GHG Tailoring Rule
Download webinar to learn the key provisions of the new Rule. >>
Trends in Sustainability Performance Management
Take the lead on sustainability. - Take the lead in your industry. >>
Can you take the pain out of carbon reporting?
See how with CA ecoSoftware >>
Recent Daily News [ see all ]
- 09/03/2010
- 09/02/2010
- 09/01/2010
- Wal-Mart Names New SVP Sustainability
- Medtronic Corporate Citizenship Report: Energy Use, CO2 Emissions Down 12%
- LEED Roundup: Exelon, Sony Pictures, Chicago Botanic Garden, WVU, NASA, Patriots Plaza I
- Ford Extends Driving Range of Focus Electric with New Battery
- Data Centers Target Higher Energy Efficiency, Lower Carbon Footprint
- Burger King Dumps Palm Oil Supplier over Land-Use Practices
- GM on Track to Make Half of Mfg Plants Landfill-Free
- Roundup – eBay, Neenah Paper, Bill Gates
- PG&E Smart Meters Work Fine
- Manufacturers to Pay for E-Waste under New Wisconsin Law
- Cisco, Itron Partner to Boost Smart-Grid Development
- California Rolls Out Zero Net Energy Plan for Buildings
- Greenpeace: 500,000 Facebook Users Tell Social Network Site to Get Off Coal
- EPA Rejects Texas Air Pollution Rules for Third Time
- Schwarzenegger Vows to Revive Renewable Energy Bill
- Norfolk Southern to Cut Carbon Footprint 10% by 2014
- California Rejects Ban on Plastic Shopping Bags
- REACH Regulation: The 5 Most Commonly Asked Questions
- Roundup – Fujitsu, Whirlpool, Metlife
- Largest Solar Rooftop Project in U.S. Planned For Salt Palace
- Reid Seeks Renewable Provision in Energy Bill
- NJ Business Park Proposes 6.5-MW Solar Power System
- Alfred Music Launches Initiative to Reduce Carbon Footprint
- Green Buildings Drive BIM Adoption
- Plug-In EV Market to Sell 3.2M Units by 2015
- Citywide Textile Recycling Program Best Practices
- Small Biz to Benefit from $1.5M Grant to Expand ‘Green’ Building Tech
- Foothill Transit Adds All-Electric Buses to Fleet
Charts [ see all ]
White Papers [ see all ]
- Building Sustainability in Hard Times: Integrated EHS Platforms Support Cost Savings
- Get Green Powered and Lower Your Energy Costs
- Eco-Competitiveness: Safeguarding Profitability and the World's Natural Resources
- The Revolution in Warehouse Lighting: LEDs and Intelligent Lighting Systems
- Global Trends In Sustainability Performance Management
- The EPA's Mandatory Reporting Rule
- A Business Framework for Excelling at Enterprise Carbon Management
- What's On Your Sustainability Dashboard?
- 9 Ways to Reduce Energy Costs
Comments and Discussions
Luigi Boskovitch on Cap and Trade Makes a Comeback
"how much will it cost to change? I worked hard to get what I have. Who is going to pay ME for the..."
Luigi Boskovitch on Greenpeace: 500,000 Facebook Users Tell Social Network Site to Get Off Coal
"How much will it cost to re-equip to convert to..."
chris on Energy Efficient Appliance Rebates Ready to Roll
"trying to get more info for warher rebate to sign up. Thanks"
Armando on Office Tower Saves 2.5M Gallons of Water Annually
"Amazing accomplishment! Something to be extremely proud of here in Miami. I’m..."
Dan Foster on Ford Extends Driving Range of Focus Electric with New Battery
"Finally, an American Automobile Company is taking a leadership role in..."
Helen on Alfred Music Launches Initiative to Reduce Carbon Footprint
"I think companies like Alfred Music Publishing, are doing a great job. Looking at..."
Mark LaCroix EVP Business Development, The CarbonNeutral Company on Data Centers Target Higher Energy Efficiency, Lower Carbon Footprint
"The..."
Reader Comments
Since when a productive, beautiful aquatic biome is turned into a slimy mess, overloaded with phosphorus doesn’t threaten people or the environment? Ask any scientist or local citizen. Who are they fooling?
Keep Spending | February 22nd, 2010