By Associated Press
Tulsa, OK – Judge dismisses major portion of lawsuit
TULSA, Okla. (AP) A federal judge has ruled that the state of Oklahoma can't pursue monetary damages totaling more than $611 million against Arkansas poultry companies because it failed to properly name the Cherokee Nation as a party in its lawsuit.
The ruling Wednesday by U.S. District Court Judge Gregory K. Frizzell was a major blow to Oklahoma's environmental lawsuit against 12 poultry companies for polluting the Illinois River watershed with bird waste.
Judge Frizzell ruled that the state could still seek injunctive relief from the companies, however, and a spokesman for Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson's office says the case "has never been about money," but protecting the watershed from pollution.