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Man Indicted in Idaho Wastewater Treatment Plant Case

Release Date: 04/27/2005
Contact Information:

Contact: Stacie Findon-Keller, 202-564-7338 / [email protected]

(04/27/05) Raymond K. Shakleford of Bozeman, Mont., the Idaho representative for Quality Water Systems Inc., also of Bozeman, was indicted on April 13 in U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho on multiple counts of mail fraud in connection with false representations that he allegedly made to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality in support of applying for permits to construct wastewater treatment systems. Quality Water Systems designs, sells and operates Sequencing Batch Reactor, (SBR), wastewater treatment systems. These systems are specifically designed for communities that cannot be hooked up to public sewers. One of these SBR systems was built on Eagle Island which is located in the middle of the Boise River. Shakleford allegedly used falsified data from this system to request applications for 12 additional systems to be built in Idaho. Some areas of Idaho have a concern regarding nitrate concentration in their groundwater and building wastewater treatment systems based on false data could lead to increased nitrate concentrations in groundwater. The case was investigated by the Boise Office of EPA's Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. attorney's office in Boise.