Chicken farming giant linked to Wye River decline has been sued over water scalding in the US
The Observer can reveal.
Activists warned two years ago that the Clear waters of the Wye, one of Britain's most beloved rivers, were marred by thick blooms of green algae linked to poultry production.
Many intensive chicken farms in the Wye catchment area supply Avara Foods in Hereford, which is the third largest poultry producer in Britain and is owned jointly by the American food company Cargill.
It is claimed that large quantities of manure from chicken farms supplying Avara and other food companies are washed into the Wye , contaminating the water with excessive levels of phosphate which fuel the growth of algal blooms.
An investigation by the Observer has found the potential impact could have been foreseen from a lawsuit dating back two decades in Oklahoma in the United States. Cargill was sued in two separate cases over allegations of waterway pollution by chicken farms in its supply chain.
In 2001, Cargill was part of of the six companies sued by the city of Tulsa over manure polluting Lakes Eucha and Spavinaw. Court documents state, "Tulsa alleges that the water supply was affected by an increase in nutrients, particularly phosphorus, which in turn resulted in excessive algae growth."
The companies settled out of court, agreeing to pay a total of $7.5 million without any admission of liability. They argued that their contract growers were responsible for waste management from their operations. spacefinder-type=" model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement" class=" dcr-10khgmf">
Four years later, in a separate case, the agricultural supply chains of Cargill and other poultry producers have been accused by Oklahoma of polluting the Illinois River, a tributary of Arkansas. Again, the companies have denied responsibility. The case is ongoing.
Drew Edmondson, the former Oklahoma state attorney general who filed the lawsuit, said, "Their biggest defense was that there were other sources of phosphorus. They talked about cows. They talked about runoff from parking lots. Our experts said, "Yeah, that's true, but the vast majority of it is poultry waste that's causing it."
The Observer can reveal.
Activists warned two years ago that the Clear waters of the Wye, one of Britain's most beloved rivers, were marred by thick blooms of green algae linked to poultry production.
Many intensive chicken farms in the Wye catchment area supply Avara Foods in Hereford, which is the third largest poultry producer in Britain and is owned jointly by the American food company Cargill.
It is claimed that large quantities of manure from chicken farms supplying Avara and other food companies are washed into the Wye , contaminating the water with excessive levels of phosphate which fuel the growth of algal blooms.
An investigation by the Observer has found the potential impact could have been foreseen from a lawsuit dating back two decades in Oklahoma in the United States. Cargill was sued in two separate cases over allegations of waterway pollution by chicken farms in its supply chain.
In 2001, Cargill was part of of the six companies sued by the city of Tulsa over manure polluting Lakes Eucha and Spavinaw. Court documents state, "Tulsa alleges that the water supply was affected by an increase in nutrients, particularly phosphorus, which in turn resulted in excessive algae growth."
The companies settled out of court, agreeing to pay a total of $7.5 million without any admission of liability. They argued that their contract growers were responsible for waste management from their operations. spacefinder-type=" model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement" class=" dcr-10khgmf">
Four years later, in a separate case, the agricultural supply chains of Cargill and other poultry producers have been accused by Oklahoma of polluting the Illinois River, a tributary of Arkansas. Again, the companies have denied responsibility. The case is ongoing.
Drew Edmondson, the former Oklahoma state attorney general who filed the lawsuit, said, "Their biggest defense was that there were other sources of phosphorus. They talked about cows. They talked about runoff from parking lots. Our experts said, "Yeah, that's true, but the vast majority of it is poultry waste that's causing it."
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