Ag Department to begin soil tests on Oklahoma farms

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The state Department of Agriculture will test the soil at 15 farms along the Illinois River to determine how poultry litter is affecting the land.<br/><br/>The tests are part of an

Friday, July 1st 2005, 3:11 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The state Department of Agriculture will test the soil at 15 farms along the Illinois River to determine how poultry litter is affecting the land.

The tests are part of an agreement between Agriculture Secretary Terry Peach and Attorney General Drew Edmondson. They'll look for arsenic, copper, zinc, bacteria and estrogen related hormones.

But some farmers say the tests are nothing more than a "witch hunt' intended to help Edmondson's lawsuit against poultry companies. The farmers say they already test for phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium and Marla Peek with the Oklahoma Farm Bureau says the additional testing looks like abuse of power.

Edmondson is suing 14 poultry companies accusing them of polluting the water supply in northeastern Oklahoma with runoff from chicken litter.