Countywide : Cal State School Site Toxicity Tests OKd

Cal State University consultants will begin toxicity tests as soon as possible on two defunct oil wells on Camarillo area orchard land that the school plans to acquire for a future campus, a university official said Tuesday.

Ventura County Superior Court Judge John Hunter signed an order Monday authorizing the tests after attorneys for the university and landowner agreed on practices that would do the least damage to existing fruit trees.

“They were concerned about where the drilling was going to take place,” Hunter said. “Apparently they got together and worked out where they would do the drilling so it wouldn’t disturb the trees.”

The 20-campus Cal State system has been trying to acquire at least 260 acres west of Camarillo for a four-year university. But one of two landowners has refused offers from the university for 190 acres, said David Leveille, CSU director of institutional relations.

Toxicity tests routinely are conducted when land changes hands, Leveille said.

“We’re not anticipating other (tests) at this point,” he said. “However, the results of these may lead to others. But we don’t know that yet.”

The Mohseni Ranches, owner of 190 acres of the proposed 260-acre site, had previously opposed the tests. But the neighboring Sakioka Farms already has agreed to sell its 70 acres to the university, Leveille said.

“We’re not engaged in a condemnation at this point,” he said of the Mohseni Ranches orchards. “We’re just taking it one step at a time in the process to acquire the property.”