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U.S. EPA orders Muranaka Farm, Inc., Tom A. Staben to restore two sites along Calleguas Creek in Ventura County

Release Date: 11/19/2007
Contact Information: Francisco Arcaute (213) 244-1815, cell (213) 798-1404 arcaute.francisco@epa.gov

LOS ANGELES - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today ordered Muranaka Farm, Inc. and Tom A. Staben to restore two sites along the Calleguas Creek in Ventura County, Calif., for discharging dredged and fill material – including rock, soil and debris - into the creek without U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permits, a violation of the Clean Water Act.

"The Calleguas Creek is an important coastal stream in Southern California and has been the focus of extensive watershed planning efforts," said Alexis Strauss, director of the EPA’s Water Division for the Pacific Southwest Region. "We will oversee restoration of these damaged sites and protection of this importance water resource and ensure compliance with the Clean Water Act.”

Failure to comply with the order could result in fines of up to $32,500 per day, per violation.

Somis-based contractor Tom A. Staben discharged dredged and fill materials into Calleguas Creek between October 2005 and November 2006 without the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers authorization. On an adjacent property, Moorpark-based Muranaka Farm, Inc. discharged unauthorized dredged and fill materials into the creek between September 2005 and November 2006.

The Clean Water Act prohibits the placement of dredged or fill materials into streams, such as Calleguas Creek, without a permit from the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. For more information on the EPA's water programs, please visit:
https://www.epa.gov/region09/water/