Drew Edmondson, poultry industry to resume water quality talks

Thursday, April 7th 2005, 6:39 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Attorney General Drew Edmondson says he plans to meet with poultry industry negotiators next month in an effort to avoid a lawsuit over water quality issues.

Edmondson's announcement Wednesday comes one day after a Senate committee killed a bill that would have restricted the attorney general's ability to file lawsuits.

The Oklahoma Farm Bureau -- which helped write the bill -- says the measure would have stopped Edmondson from using lawsuits to set public policy.

Edmondson still says he's guardedly optimistic the issue can be resolved without litigation.

Edmondson alleges that Oklahoma lakes and streams are deteriorating because of runoff from excess chicken litter applied as fertilizer on land, giving the water a foul taste and smell.