Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
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Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Refer to the description of the Broiler Antitrust Civil Litigation, the Broiler Chicken Grower Litigation, the Pork Antitrust Litigation, the Beef Antitrust Litigation and the Wage Rate Litigation under the heading “Commitments and Contingencies” in Part II, Item 8, Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Note 20: Commitments and Contingencies, which discussion is incorporated herein by reference.
On June 19, 2005, the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Environment of the State of Oklahoma filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma against Tyson Foods, Inc., three subsidiaries and six other poultry integrators. The complaint, which was subsequently amended, asserts a number of state and federal causes of action including, but not limited to, counts under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and state-law public nuisance theories. Oklahoma alleges that the defendants and certain contract growers who were not joined in the lawsuit polluted the surface waters, groundwater and associated drinking water supplies of the Illinois River Watershed through the land application of poultry litter. Oklahoma’s claims were narrowed through various rulings issued before and during trial and its claims for natural resource damages were dismissed by the district court in a ruling issued on July 22, 2009, which was subsequently affirmed on appeal by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. A non-jury trial of the remaining claims including Oklahoma’s request for injunctive relief began on September 24, 2009. Closing arguments were held on February 11, 2010. On January 18, 2023, the district court entered Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law in favor of the State of Oklahoma and directed the parties to confer in an attempt to reach an agreement on appropriate remedies by March 17, 2023. On March 17, 2023, the parties received a 90-day extension from the district court and continued to confer on appropriate remedies. On June 12, 2023, the court ordered the parties to mediation. The parties attended an in-person mediation on October 12, 2023, but were unable to reach a resolution. Defendants subsequently filed a post-trial motion to dismiss, which the court denied on June 26, 2024. The court convened an evidentiary hearing which concluded on December 17, 2024. The parties completed post-hearing briefing thereafter. On June 17, 2025, the Court entered an opinion and order concluding that conditions in the Illinois River Watershed had not changed materially since the original trial in 2009 and 2010. The following day, the court entered an order setting a schedule for the parties to make written submissions concerning the terms of the final judgment the court should enter. Those submissions were completed August 11, 2025, and remain pending before the court. After consideration of these submissions, the court is expected to enter a final judgment imposing the remedies, if any, that it deems appropriate based on the evidence in the record.
Other Matters
As of September 27, 2025, we had approximately 133,000 team members and, at any time, have various employment practices matters outstanding. In the aggregate, these matters are important to the Company, and we devote considerable resources to managing employment issues. Additionally, we are subject to other lawsuits, investigations and claims (some of which involve substantial amounts) arising out of the conduct of our business. While the ultimate results of these matters cannot be determined, they are not expected to have a material adverse effect on our consolidated results of operations or financial position.
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