Stitt opposes retroactive suits against poultry industry, says permits were followed

Governor Kevin Stitt said the state should not seek retroactive financial penalties against poultry companies that held permits and complied with state requirements when permitted activities occurred.

Asked whether land application of poultry litter in the Illinois River watershed should be restricted as part of settlements, Stitt said the businesses ‘‘had permits, they followed the law, they did everything they were supposed to.’’ He criticized renewed litigation by the Attorney General as politically motivated, saying the earlier lawsuit brought by then-Attorney General Drew Edmondson had been dormant for more than a decade and was later revived by Attorney General Gentner Drummond.

‘‘So absolutely not. I am for there’s no possible way that I would be for playing Monday morning quarterback, going to a business and saying, well, you've got deep pockets, you can afford it, even though you followed all the rules and you had all the permits and you did everything like we told you to do, but now we don't like it, and so we want you to give us a billion dollars,’’ Stitt said. He said reviving long-dormant litigation would be ‘‘devastating for new entries and new businesses’’ and would deter investment.

Stitt said he supports addressing water-quality concerns going forward through standards implemented by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality and by following EPA guidance, but he opposed retroactive punishments for companies that held valid permits. He did not describe any executive action or new regulatory change at the press conference.