Judge David Crutchfield of Delaware County, Oklahoma issued a judgment in favor of the Spring Creek Coalition relating to potential pollution of ground water by poultry farms.  The order directed the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry to assign “meaningful consideration to local communities in the process of issuing permits for large poultry farms.”

In terms of the order, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture must deny new approval for farms holding more than 125,000 birds until specific requirements relating to potential pollution are resolved. These include notices to local property owners and public hearings.  It is anticipated that the ruling by Judge Crutchfield will be appealed since it effectively imposes restrictions on the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture possibly in conflict with the Poultry Feeding Operations Act.

In many respects litigation in Oklahoma mirrors the opposition to the high density of hog farms in eastern North Carolina allegedly responsible for deterioration in the quality of ground water and environmental pollution.