Poultry farmers claim investigators watching their property

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) _ With a lawsuit from the Oklahoma attorney general pending, Arkansas and Oklahoma poultry farmers say they're suspicious of unfamiliar vehicles driving near their farms with

Tuesday, August 30th 2005, 8:32 am

By: News On 6

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) _ With a lawsuit from the Oklahoma attorney general pending, Arkansas and Oklahoma poultry farmers say they're suspicious of unfamiliar vehicles driving near their farms with people stopping and taking pictures.

Bev Saunders, a spokesman for Poultry Partners, a group of 400 farmers in the region, says some farmers think they're being watched by private investigators working on behalf of Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson.

Edmondson filed a federal lawsuit against eight poultry companies in June, claiming runoff from the farms is polluting Oklahoma waterways. He said his office is gathering evidence in the case and undertaking a number of activities to support the litigation, including verifying public information and documenting the poultry companies' waste management practices.