U.S. Magistrate Judge Sam A. Joyner split a closely watched pollution lawsuit Thursday. He separated claims the poultry companies filed against 160 businesses and individuals and 150 "John Doe" defendants in the watershed from the main case filed by Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson.

Edmondson sued eight poultry companies and six of their subsidiaries in June 2005 claiming they are most responsible for excessive levels of phosphorus and pollutants in the river basin and should pay to clean it up.

Poultry companies responded by filing their own claim against third-party groups that may contribute phosphorus to the Oklahoma half of the watershed through the use of commercial fertilizer, septic systems or municipal wastewater treatment plants.

Source: NwaOnline