The Poultry Federation is urging a federal court to pause enforcement of a recent ruling in the Illinois River Watershed case while the decision is appealed, arguing that immediate implementation would cause serious harm to family farmers and rural communities.
In a statement released Tuesday, The Poultry Federation President Marvin Childers said the organization supports a motion for stay filed by poultry companies named in the lawsuit.
“The Poultry Federation supports efforts to grant a stay in this case, and we believe the poultry companies and family farmers imperiled by Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s lawsuit will eventually be vindicated on appeal,” Childers said. “The pressing question is how many family farmers, who have fully complied with state law, will be driven out of business before this flawed decision is corrected.”
The motion for stay was filed in federal court following a Dec. 19 ruling by U.S. District Judge Gregory Frizzell. Poultry companies have also filed a notice of appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
Industry groups argue that enforcing the ruling during the appeal would disrupt agricultural operations across the watershed. They warn that farmers could lose access to poultry litter used as fertilizer, growers could lose a key source of income, and poultry companies may be forced to scale back or relocate long-standing operations, affecting surrounding communities.
The federation also raised concerns that the ruling would transfer oversight from state regulators to a court-appointed special master with broad authority, effectively sidelining Oklahoma’s existing agricultural and environmental agencies.
Supporters of the stay contend there is no urgent environmental or public health threat that justifies immediate enforcement. The case has been under litigation for more than two decades, and courts have previously found no risk to human health from poultry litter use in the watershed.
The motion for stay is now pending. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has until Jan. 12, 2026, to respond.
