KSLA News 12 Shreveport, Louisiana |Lawyers: Okla. agency had water-quality duties
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Associated Press - October 21, 2009 7:04 PM ET
TULSA, Okla. (AP) - The Arkansas poultry industry says an Oklahoma agency had the power for years to go to court to enforce water-quality standards in a sensitive watershed, but failed to do so.
That accusation came Wednesday afternoon in the companies' questioning of Teena Gunter, the deputy general counsel for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food & Forestry.
In her testimony, Gunter described a state agency that seemed overwhelmed and understaffed, with only 2 poultry inspectors detailed to dozens of chicken houses in the 1 million-acre Illinois River watershed.
Oklahoma is suing 11 companies, accusing them of polluting the river valley with tons of bird waste.
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