The owner of a Burley cattle feedlot has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly injecting manure into the aquifer and lying to investigators.

Cory L. King, manager and part owner of Double C Farms, 203 E. 1100 S. in Burley, was indicted Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Boise on three felony counts of violating the Safe Drinking Water Act and one felony count of lying to an Idaho State Department of Agriculture inspector.

If convicted on all counts, King faces up to 14 years in prison and $1 million in fines for violations officials say jeopardized drinking water in Cassia County.

According to the grand jury indictment obtained Friday by the Times-News, the facility installed backflow-prevention valves backward at three irrigation wells, which allowed the facility to drain a waste retention pond into the aquifer.

Investigators also say King buried an irrigation valve moments after it was inspected and lied to investigators about its existence.

The violations were discovered in May and early June of 2005 during routine inspections. The incidents led to a three-agency probe by ISDA, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and the Idaho Department of Water Resources that eventually found dozens of violations.

The state alleged the feedlot had pumped groundwater and diverted surface water without a valid water right, sprayed chemicals and manure into nearby Willow Creek and allowed the berm at a waste retention pond to collapse, in addition to the well violations.

Well samples gathered at the site during the investigation showed fecal coliform and E. coli bacteria present in the water.

At one point in late 2005, Double C Farms and Lambert Produce, which also does business at the feedlot, faced nearly $1 million in fines between the agencies.

The Environmental Protection Agency announced then it would begin its own investigation of alleged federal Safe Drinking Water Act violations. Tuesday's indictment is the culmination of that investigation.

A trial date is yet to be scheduled, according to online court information.

Paul L. Westberg, a lawyer representing King, did not return calls for this story.

Matt Christensen may be reached at 735-3243 or at matt.christensen@lee.net.