Document Actions
Edmondson Wants Fields Tested For Health Hazards
John Moore of the Morning News reports on Edmondson's request to have our fields and rain run-off tested for evidence to support his case. My conclusion is if Mr. Edmondson has facts to support his theory that the water is polluted and a health hazard, then the Illinois River and Lake Tenkiller should be closed to tourist, canoist, floaters, swimmers and fishermen for health safety reasons. Lake Tenkiller cannot be the crown jewel of Oklahoma and a health hazard at the same time. Mr. Edmondson cannot have it both ways.
By John Moore
The Morning News
Farmers in the Illinois River watershed could have the soil in their fields, the water running off them and the poultry litter spread on them tested for pollutants this spring, if a federal judge approves a request filed by Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson.
Edmondson filed the motion Wednesday afternoon in a pollution lawsuit against 14 poultry companies.
"We are extremely concerned about the impact this waste could have on human health," Edmondson said in a news release about the filing.
If Edmondson has scientific evidence the water in the Illinois River could be a health hazard, he should report it to the state and make sure people don't swim, fish or canoe in it, said Bev Saunders, an Oklahoma poultry and cattle farmer and spokeswoman for Poultry Partners Inc.
Poultry Partners is a group of 450 farmers formed to help protect the interest of farmers in the area. The group has been a vocal opponent of Edmondson's lawsuit.
The request to test the soil would expedite the discovery process in the case, Edmondson said.
"Spring is the time of year when they clean out their barns and dump large amounts of waste on the fields," Edmondson said.
"Anyone who lives in Oklahoma knows this is also the season for thunderstorms and downpours. It's not hard to understand why much of the waste that's dumped on the fields before a storm ends up in the water as polluted runoff, and pollution by runoff is against the law." Janet Wilkerson, a spokeswoman for the poultry companies, said Edmondson's case has been pending for eight months and Edmondson has claimed for years that he has proof of the pollution.
"Now he comes to the court claiming that he needs help 'confirming' that what he has been saying all this time is actually true. Frankly, Mr. Edmondson should have worried about getting his facts straight a long time ago," Wilkerson said.
If Edmondson is successful, poultry litter, a natural organic fertilizer, could be declared a hazardous waste and bring on a new era of intense regulation for farmers who have followed the state and federal laws in using poultry litter, Wilkerson said.