OK House passes bill changing how chicken waste pollution in water is handled | News [Video]

OKLAHOMA CITY — The State of Oklahoma will bear some of the responsibility for water pollution caused by chicken farms in eastern Oklahoma if a bill continues to advance through the state legislature.

The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed House Bill 4118 on Monday, despite there being some bipartisan opposition.

The bill shifts responsibility from solely on commercial chicken farmers and instead shifts some of the pollution management to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture. The department would work with each operation and make sure it has a state approved nutrient management plan.

“If you have an approved nutrient management plan, and you are not in compliance, then this bill does not cover you,” said State Representative David Hardin (R-Stilwell).

Hardin, who authored the bill, said too many small operations who make small mistakes are being treated on the same level as giant polluters. He said some of the commercial chicken …