The Waterkeeper Alliance will not appeal the December 20 decision of Judge William M. Nickerson, U.S. District Court in Baltimore, Maryland, who ruled in favor of chicken growers Alan and Kristin Hudson and Perdue Farms in a critical water pollution lawsuit. Judge Nickerson said the Waterkeeper Alliance did not prove their case.
“We are pleased that the Waterkeeper Alliance and their taxpayer-funded legal counsel at the Univeristy of Maryland’s Environmental Law Clinic have decided not to prolong this irresponsible attack on Maryland agriculture and have accepted Judge Nickerson’s clearly stated decision. We are thrilled that the Hudson can put this nightmare behind them, and that we can re-focus Perdue’s energies on positive and proactive environmental activities, said Perdue spokeswoman Julie DeYoung. Perdue Farms and the Hudsons are seeking to recoup attorney fees from the environmental group.
In previous federal court filings, Perdue Farms said it spent $2.5 million on the case and farmer Alan Hudson said he spent at least $500,000.
