VENTURA : Firm to Pay Fine in Waste Disposal Case

A metal-finishing company agreed Friday to pay $75,000 in civil penalties and investigative costs to settle a complaint from the Ventura County district attorney that its Ventura plant improperly dumped hazardous wastes.

Without admitting wrongdoing, General Magnaplate California agreed to pay $60,000 in civil penalties and $15,000 in investigative costs, Deputy Dist. Atty. Gregory Brose said.

On Friday, Superior Court Judge Steven Z. Perren issued a permanent injunction prohibiting the company from improperly handling, storing and disposing of wastes in the future.

The penalties and injunction stemmed from incidents in June, 1989, and April, 1990, in which the company on 2707 Palma Drive improperly disposed of waste containing high levels of nickel, Brose said.

An anonymous employee at the company tipped investigators about one incident. In the other incident, an anonymous caller reported seeing someone turning over the soil near the facility, Brose said.

Corey Wesnitzer, general manager of the Ventura division, said the alleged violations occurred under different management, and new management was installed when the corporate office in Linden, N.J., was told about the problems.

Wesnitzer also read from a prepared statement: “The staff of General Magnaplate as well as outside experts have investigated the alleged violations and have concluded that to the extent that any such violations did occur, they were both unintentional and of minimal environmental consequence.

“However, in order to avoid litigation concerning these issues, and without admitting liability, General Magnaplate has agreed to settle this matter by reimbursing the county’s investigation costs and paying a civil penalty.”