The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma today rejected Arkansas’ motion to intervene, saying the request falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of the U.S. Supreme Court.

“The Supreme Court has already rejected Arkansas’ request regarding this issue,” Edmondson said. “Today’s ruling moves us one step closer to trial.”

The nation’s highest court in February 2006 denied Arkansas’ motion to hear the case.

Edmondson said both courts were correct in rejecting Arkansas’ requests.

“The parties in this lawsuit are the State of Oklahoma and the poultry companies, who we allege are polluting our waters with their waste,” Edmondson said. “We did not sue Arkansas and we did not sue one single farmer.”

After almost four years of fruitless negotiations, Oklahoma in June 2005 filed a federal lawsuit against several poultry companies to put an end to the alleged pollution their operations have caused in the Illinois River watershed and Lake Tenkiller.