News Releases

An investigation by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office has determined that a hazardous propane release at the City of Oxnard Del Norte Regional Recycling and Transfer Station originated from an improperly disposed tank by ModVans Inc., a manufacturer of recreational vehicles.

“This incident serves as a reminder that improper disposal of hazardous materials can put workers, first responders, and the public at serious risk,” District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said. “Proper training and adherence to hazardous waste regulations are critical to preventing dangerous situations like this.”

An investigation by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office has determined that a petroleum-contaminated wastewater discharge into Grimes Canyon Creek originated from a vacuum truck operated by a temporary employee of Advanced Industrial Services, Inc. (AIS).

Evidence showed that between 4:00 a.m. and 4:49 a.m., the driver loaded petroleum-contaminated wastewater, backed the truck up to Grimes Canyon Creek, and discharged approximately 150 gallons into a ravine leading to the creek bed. The driver then left without reporting the spill, as required by law.

On April 21, 2023, the Ventura County District Attorney and Silver Bay Seafoods entered a stipulated Final Judgment resolving a civil prosecution relating to the company’s 2021 and 2022 releases of stick water. Stick water is squid ink wastewater which is lethal to fish and marine life due to its high concentration of ammonia. Under the terms of the settlement, Silver Bay Seafoods agreed to pay $36,815, which included $12,500 in penalties to the Ventura County Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund, $12,500 in penalties to the CDFW Fish and Game Preservation Fund, and $5,000 in civil penalties and $6,815 in investigative costs to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.

An in-depth investigation by the California Department of Fish & Wildlife identified a large poaching and wildlife trafficking organization referred to as the “E-Bike crew.” The “E Bike crew” conspired with one another and Lizette’s Market to fraudulently reprint hunting licenses and tags for the purpose of unlawfully poaching wildlife. All seven defendants pled guilty to two or more felonies ranging between 180 and 220 days in jail, as well as a two-year probationary period.

The Ventura County District Attorney and the Santa Cruz County District Attorney were lead counsel in a civil prosecution of AT&T which led to a $5.9 million settlement for environmental violations. AT&T failed to report the location of numerous hazardous materials (batteries) with the California Environmental Reporting System (CERS) at more than 3,000 sites across the state of California.  AT&T self-reported the apparent oversight and cooperated with the statewide investigation. Ventura and Santa Cruz Counties each received more than $700,000 as a result of this settlement and the 56 other California counties and impacted regulatory agencies split the remainder of the $5.9 million.