Ventura County Supervisors Revoke Permit For Infamous Waste Water Facility Near Santa Paula

Tuesday March 26, 2024

(Photos courtesy VCFD)

     Ventura County Supervisors Tuesday voted unanimously to once and for all revoke the permit for a shuttered and infamous waste water facility near Santa Paula.

     It was almost a decade ago that a vacuum truck explosion and fire at what was called the Santa Clara Waste Water treatment facility on Mission Rock Road near Santa Paula seriously injured five people, including three firefighters, and sent scores more to local hospitals.

     It also forced evacuations and shut down the 126 Freeway as a potentially toxic cloud drifted over the area.

     Ultimately several company officials and managers faced criminal charges relating to the storage of dangerous substances they were not permitted to have.

     Since then the shuttered facility has changed owners but attempts to reopen it have been rejected.

     It's newest owner who just took over told the board Tuesday he will consider other uses but he promised whatever is proposed it will never be what it was.

     Whatever is proposed will have to go through a full review before any new permit is considered.

     Several speakers questioned whether the site has been properly cleaned up, something county staff said had been done.