BOISE, ID – A Burley, Idaho man has had his 2009 conviction upheld for illegally injecting fluids into deep wells and subsequently lying to state inspectors, a case hailed as one of the first successful prosecutions under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). Cory Ledeal King, 54, former farm manager and part-owner of Double C Farms/Lambert Produce, was sentenced to three years probation, four months of home detention, and a $5,000 fine for his actions.
The case, investigated by a multi-agency task force including the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture, and others, centered on King’s ordering employees to inject excess surface fluids into at least four deep agricultural irrigation wells at the Double C ranch in 2005. Prosecutors argued these injections occurred without the necessary Underground Injection Control permit from the Idaho Department of Water Resources, potentially contaminating groundwater.
During the three-day federal trial in Pocatello, expert witnesses testified about the risks associated with unpermitted deep well injections. While the government couldn’t definitively prove, to the stringent standards required for sentencing, that the injected fluids contained pollutants, Judge Winmill acknowledged the potential severity of the crime. He stated he would have imposed a jail sentence had evidence of manure injection into groundwater been conclusive. The jury ultimately found King guilty of four counts of violating the Safe Drinking Water Act and one count of making false statements to a state inspector.
Legal Ramifications & Commerce Clause Ruling
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed King’s conviction in October 2011, solidifying the legal precedent surrounding the enforcement of the SDWA. Crucially, the ruling addressed the constitutionality of the Act under the Commerce Clause, finding that drinking water qualifies as an article of commerce subject to federal regulation to prevent contamination. The court emphasized the potentially “disastrous consequences” of unchecked underground fluid injection on both drinking water supplies and public health.
The charges against King specifically cited violations of 42 U.S.C. 300h-2(b)(2), pertaining to the unlawful injection of pollutants, and 18 U.S.C. 1001(a)(2), covering the making of false statements to a federal investigator (in this case, the state inspector acting on behalf of federal regulations). The penalties reflect the seriousness with which federal authorities are treating violations of environmental regulations, particularly those impacting vital resources like drinking water.
Looking Ahead
This case signals a growing trend in federal environmental enforcement. The EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division is increasingly focused on prosecuting individuals and entities who deliberately circumvent environmental regulations, particularly those related to water quality. The King case serves as a warning: intentional disregard for permitting requirements and deception of regulatory agencies will be met with significant legal consequences. The collaborative investigation highlights the importance of interagency cooperation in tackling complex environmental crimes.
Key Facts
- Defendant: Cory Ledeal King
- Location: Burley, Idaho
- Crime: Illegal injection of fluids into deep wells & false statements
- Statutes Violated: 42 U.S.C. 300h-2(b)(2), 18 U.S.C. 1001(a)(2)
- Penalties: 3 years probation, 4 months home detention, $5,000 fine
- Significance: One of the first successful prosecutions under the Safe Drinking Water Act; affirmed Commerce Clause ruling.
Source: EPA ECHO Enforcement Case Database
Related Federal Cases
- Ron Sale Trucking, Water Pollution, ID 2001 · Florida
- Carl Simon, Water Pollution, IA 2005 · Iowa
- Sam Jenkins, Jr., Water Pollution, WA 1986 · U.S. Virgin Islands
- Cory King, Environmental Crime, ID 2010 · California
- Dennis Simmons, Water Pollution, IA 2013 · Iowa
