The State - News from April 14, 1989

The California Department of Fish and Game has filed a criminal complaint against a major Kings County cotton farmer for allegedly dumping up to 25 million gallons of treated sewage water from Lemoore into the Kings River. Westlake Farms official Ceil Howe denies any wrongdoing in the incident. State investigators said the farming operation used the river for two weeks as a conduit for the sewage water, which is used on West Lake farms cotton fields. State officials said the tainted water could cause hepatitis or other diseases among fishermen and swimmers using the river near Lemoore. The Kings County district attorney’s office is considering whether to file actual criminal charges.