Judge Creates New Requirements For Large Poultry Farms
A judge says Oklahoma must notify neighbors and consider environmental impacts before licensing massive poultry operations.
This is a courtroom win for a grassroots group in Northeast Oklahoma.
After its waters bubble up from the ground, Spring Creek winds across the Cherokee Nation Reservation and through three counties.
On that 35-mile journey, the stream passes by dozens of poultry mega-farms.
A group of nearby residents and landowners says the state-licensed those facilities without alerting residents, considering public comment or gathering information on the potential public health or environmental impacts.
So, they filed a lawsuit against the state Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry three years ago.
At the end of June, a district judge ruled the agency neglected its duty to protect the environment during the permitting process.
Going forward, state officials will need to put notice of a new poultry operation in local newspapers. It must also provide “meaningful consideration of public concerns.”
The Department of Agriculture could appeal this decision to a higher court.
New Statewide Charter School Board Meets Monday
Oklahoma’s new school board charged with overseeing the future contract of the nation’s first private charter school meets on Monday.
The Statewide Charter School Board will oversee almost half of Oklahoma’s charter schools.
It was created to consolidate and take oversight duties away from the State Department of Education and Oklahoma’s virtual charter school board.
Charter schools are publicly funded but independently operated. They are accredited by the State Department of Education but are exempt from certain requirements. For example, they can hire teachers without a valid state teaching certificate.
State lawmakers created this new board following issues with schools overseen by the state’s virtual charter board and the State Board of Education.
The board’s first task is discussing the nation’s first private Catholic charter school, St. Isidore.
That school hit a snag when Oklahoma’s Supreme Court ruled it improperly mixed church and state.
Oklahoma’s AG Taking Airline Complaints
Airline customers who are frustrated with unfair airline practices have a new place to file complaints. Oklahoma is one of several states working with the federal government to tackle passengers’ grievances.
Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s office has joined with 18 other states and the federal department of transportation to offer an online complaint form launched on Tuesday.
The form on the AG’s website is for complaints about deceptive practices by air carriers and ticket agencies–not for complaints about delays or routine service.
Drummond signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Department of Transportation to investigate airline complaints, something that has typically been done only at the federal level.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg announced the bipartisan partnership with state AG’s in April.
Upgrades Planned For West Woodward Airport
The West Woodward Airport is set to undergo nearly $20 million in upgrades.
Improvements include extending the runway and building a new terminal and corporate hangar.
A program administered through the state's Aerospace and Aeronautics Department makes the project possible.
City officials hope the improvements will attract more business to the area.
Construction is expected to start in September.
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