Both sides of a lawsuit over loans guaranteed to C&H Hog Farms in Mount Judea have agreed on a proposed settlement awarding fees to attorneys for the environmental groups who sued the federal government.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration have agreed to pay $250,000 to attorneys with Earthjustice, Earthrise Law Center and Little Rock-based Carney Bates Pulliam.
Those attorneys represented the Buffalo River Watershed Alliance, Ozark Society, national parks Conservation Association and Arkansas Canoe Club, which sued the two federal agencies in 2013, alleging they improperly conducted an environmental assessment on C&H Hog Farms that led them to back loans made to the facility.
A federal judge sided with the environmental groups and ordered a new study, which was released last week and indicated no likely significant effect from C&H Hog Farm on the Buffalo River watershed area.
The four attorneys for the environmental groups originally applied for $370,510 in fees in May.
The proposed settlement on attorneys' fees now heads to U.S. District Judge D. Price Marshall Jr. for approval.
Metro on 08/15/2015