Possible Chicken Litter Ban: One expert says that fertilizer is to blame for Oklahoma’s water woes

A nearly two-decade-old lawsuit in Oklahoma is drawing attention to the use of poultry litter as fertilizer.

In 2023, a district judge found poultry companies responsible for pollution in Oklahoma’s eastern waterways. The court is now considering measures to help combat that pollution.

A soil scientist with the Oklahoma Conservation Commission took to the stand and claimed that halting the land application of poultry waste is a necessary step to address the watershed issues.

He said that runoff from chicken litter fertilizer has led to elevated phosphorus levels, ultimately depleting oxygen, clouding water, and straining utility systems.

Poultry companies argue that increased transportation of litter out of the state has limited its impact.

Related Stories
Let’s take a look at harvest progress as of early September 2025, across all 50 U.S. States, prepared by Market Day Report anchor and RFD-TV Markets Expert Tony St. James.
Experts estimate the flooding from Hurricane Helene caused more than $1.3 billion in damage to Tennessee agriculture.
Pressure to lower gas prices across the Golden State could be the saving grace of this year’s corn harvest. California may soon be the final U.S. state to approve E-15 sales.
Both Congressional Ag Committees took up the bill over the summer, but there’s no word on when the Senate could move forward; it does expire on September 30.