Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has reached an agreement with a fourth, now dissolved, poultry company to bring an end to a two-decade old federal lawsuit.

Peterson Farms Inc. has agreed to pay $950,000 for remediation and conservation projects in the Illinois River Watershed plus attorneys fees. It also agreed to pay $50,000 toward a special master to monitor implementation, according to the agreement.

The federal lawsuit against poultry companies, filed in 2005 by former Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson, alleged excessive poultry waste spread as fertilizer had degraded the watershed.

The agreement also contains land application restrictions should the company or its successor raise chickens. The company sold its chicken operation to Simmons Foods and dissolved. It left the watershed in 2008.

The agreement, filed February 24, requires court approval.

The settlement continues Oklahoma’s progress in holding poultry companies accountable for polluting the Illinois River Watershed, Drummond said.

“Protecting Oklahoma’s water and ensuring a thriving poultry industry are not mutually exclusive – they go hand in hand,” he said. “We remain committed to pursuing comprehensive resolutions with the remaining defendants, Cal-Maine and Simmons, that safeguard Oklahoma’s waters for future generations while keeping our poultry industry strong and sustainable.”

Peterson did not admit any liability, the agreement said.

Scott McDaniel, an attorney for the company, said if approved by the court, the settlement is a reasonable resolution to the state’s claims against the company.

It will end the high cost of litigation and bring certainty to everyone involved, he said.

“Peterson Farms has consistently held throughout this 20plus year litigation that both it and the farm families that raised chickens for Peterson Farms were good stewards of the land and water, who complied with their nutrient management plans,” McDaniel said.

Earlier this month, Drummond announced an agreement with Tyson Foods and Cargill. The companies agreed to pay more than $25 million total for remediation and conservation.

George’s Inc. settled in January, agreeing to pay $5 million to the state for remediation and conservation projects plus attorney fees.

Lastyear,afederaljudgeruled that the companies were jointly responsible and required them to pay for decades of cleanup and imposed strict restrictions on poultry waste application.

Oklahoma Voice is an affiliate of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization, supported by grants and donations. Oklahoma Voice provides nonpartisan reporting, and retains full editorial independence.