Tyson River Pollution Lawsuit Update
Oklahoma has entered a new chapter in its court saga against Tyson and other Arkansas poultry companies for polluting the Illinois River.
Attorneys laid out evidence about the case in court 15 years ago.
After a good, long deliberation, Judge Gregory Frizzell ruled in Oklahoma’s favor in 2022. He ordered the poultry companies to come up with a plan to deal with the pollution and address the harm already caused by poultry litter.
But the parties couldn’t agree on what that plan should look like before the judge’s due date. And the poultry companies tried to have the suit thrown out because it was based on a trial that took place three presidents ago.
At a hearing on Friday, Frizzell said he won’t dismiss the suit, but he has ordered the parties to present updated evidence at a hearing in December. As first reported by the Oklahoma Ecology Project, Frizzell says his final ruling will reflect the updated evidence.
Cherokee Nation Housing Law
The Cherokee Nation is proposing a permanent housing law that would alleviate a shortage of places to live on the reservation over the long-term.
Dedicating forty-million every three years toward housing needs, the proposed law would be a reauthorization of the Cherokee Nation’s Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act.
The original act, passed in 2019, brought funds for housing rehabilitation and the construction of new homes. In 2022, the law was revised to boost funds to one-hundred-twenty million.
The act expires next year in September. If the proposal to extend it passes, it will allocate funding and planning between housing and community development needs.
Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. says the law is intended to alleviate the growing housing crisis.
“Anything we can do to alleviate a single person, a single individuals housing problem is going to help with that overall deficit," he said.
The legislation goes before a tribal council committee later this month.
USPS Tulsa Move Reversal
The United States Postal Service has decided it will NOT move some of its operations from Tulsa to Oklahoma City, reversing its decision from earlier this year.
USPS officials announced Monday that changes they’ve made to transportation, processing and delivery nationwide will save them about $30 billion dollars over the next decade. The savings will allow the postal service to keep processing Tulsa mail in the city.
The postal service previously announced on April 30th that it would move these operations to Oklahoma City. Officials said Monday that they’re still committed to giving $22 and a half million dollars to Tulsa’s USPS processing facility announced earlier this year.
The Monday announcement follows Tulsa city council and county commissioners, the Cherokee Nation chief and all but one member of Oklahoma’s federal delegation opposing the move to Oklahoma City.
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