Investigations

On October 7, 2019, a final stipulated judgment against California Resources Corporation (CRC) was entered in the Superior Court of California, Ventura County. While CRC neither admitted nor denied any of the allegations, in the interest of compromise, the company agreed to settle the case and pay $400,000 in civil penalties and $64,000 in investigative costs.

 

The settlement resolved allegations that prior to CRC’s 2014 acquisition of oil and gas exploration and production operations in California, hazardous waste had been generated, unlawfully transported, and disposed of at the Anterra Energy facility in Oxnard, California. Anterra Energy was not authorized to receive hazardous waste.

 

Under the terms of the judgment, CRC must comply with a permanent injunction that requires it to follow California laws and regulations covering the safe management of hazardous waste.

 

DOT-OIG conducted this investigation with the Ventura County District Attorney’s Major Fraud Unit.