Island Packers Corporation, of Ventura, entered a settlement with the District Attorney’s Office following an unlawful deposit of toxic substances into the Ventura Harbor in April 2020. Island Packers operates three large commercial vessels used to ferry passengers to and from the Channel Islands National Park and Marine Sanctuary. Under the terms of the settlement, the business will pay the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) $2,000 for investigative costs, a $500 civil penalty to the District Attorney’s Office, and $5,000 to the Ventura County Harbor Master, to provide for oil spill response equipment and a drone to conduct aerial surveillance for safety operations. The settlement also includes an injunctive term requiring Island Packers to comply with all applicable laws related to Fish & Game Code section 5650.
On April 29, 2020, DFW was notified that maintenance was occurring at the Ventura Harbor on the vessel “Islander”, operated by Island Packers. The maintenance involved sanding the deck of the boat without any containment measures in place. This resulted in substantial paint related debris floating into the harbor. Immediately after the incident, Island Packers fully cooperated with the investigation and instituted remedial measures to ensure a similar incident does not occur again in the future. This settlement is the result of a joint investigation conducted by the DFW and the District Attorney’s Office Consumer and Environmental Protection Unit.
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