Poultry Industry Isn't to Blame for Arsenic

ARKANSAS - Defendants in a lawsuit over claims that chicken litter contains unhealthy levels of arsenic have asked a state judge to prevent the plaintiffs from referring to a monolithic "poultry industry" at an upcoming court hearing.

The poultry companies named in the lawsuit want the plaintiffs to prove a specific company caused health problems - not the poultry industry in general.

The companies - which include Springdale-based Tyson Foods Inc. - contend the plaintiffs are trying to blame the entire poultry industry to avoid the task of trying to prove that a specific company caused the arsenic pollution.

Plaintiffs claim that a substance used to enhance chicken growth, Roxarsone, has resulted in high arsenic levels in the Prairie Grove area. The plaintiffs say that after litter degrades, the air's arsenic level increases, which can cause cancer and other health problems.

Source: Fox16

26 July 2006