Consumer and Environmental Protection Unit, in conjunction with the District Attorney’s Offices of Kern, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara Counties, have obtained a $464,000 stipulated final judgment against California Resources Corporation (CRC), based in Los Angeles. CRC, a 2014 spinoff of Occidental Petroleum Corporation, acquired all of Occidental’s active and discontinued California oil and gas exploration and production (E&P) operations, including certain wells located in Kern, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties (CRC’s California E&P Operations).
The settlement resolves allegations that prior to the 2014 acquisition, CRC’s California E&P Operations generated hazardous wastes and caused them to be unlawfully transported and disposed of at the Anterra Energy facility in Oxnard, California, which is not authorized to receive hazardous waste.
Under the terms of the judgment, CRC must comply with a permanent injunction that requires it to follow California laws and regulations covering the safe management of hazardous waste. In addition, CRC was ordered to pay $400,000 in civil penalties, of which $250,000 are to be paid to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, and $50,000 each to the District Attorneys of Kern, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara Counties, and an additional $64,000 to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office as reimbursement for investigative costs.
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office is the public prosecutor for the county’s 850,000 residents. The office employs approximately 280 employees including attorneys, investigators, victim advocates, and other professional support staff who strive to seek justice, ensure public safety, and protect the rights of crime victims.
Follow the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office on Twitter @VenturaDAOffice
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