Defense: Oklahoma ignoring own law

By Robert J. Smith Friday, February 19, 2010 TULSA — Defense attorneys on Thursday criticized Oklahoma for asking a federal judge to cut poultry manure’s use in the Illinois River watershed when the state has the ability to do it on its own but has not changed it. Gary Weeks, who represents Springdale-based George’s Inc., made an impassioned plea to U.S. District Judge Greg Frizzell during arguments that closed a 50-day trial to determine if sixpoultry companies have polluted the watershed with the manure. Weeks told the judge it’s wrong for Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson to ask Frizzell to limit the manure’s use to fields where phosphorus is below 65 pounds per acre across the watershed that includes portions of Oklahoma and Northwest Arkansas.