The Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board has filed a multimillion-dollar complaint against Greka Energy for what it sees as the local oil company’s failure to comply with a clean-up-and-abatement order, according to state officials.
The water board filed the complaint against Greka over an order involving the company’s Northern Santa Barbara County leases, including the Casmalia, Cat Canyon, Santa Maria Valley and Zaca oil fields, according to Assemblyman Pedro Nava, D-Santa Barbara.
The water board is set to hold a hearing regarding the complaint in Santa Barbara on Oct. 16 and 17. At that time, the board can decide to either affirm, reject, decrease or increase the proposed $8.5 million fine.
It also can choose to send the matter to the California Attorney General, according to a statement released by Nava’s office.
A representative from Greka said the company is surprised by the filing since Greka staff were working with state officials on plans to reuse the material in question on Greka’s property.
Additionally, the company had been told by a third party laboratory that the material in question is not hazardous, said Greka spokesman Robert Emmers.
According to the complaint, state officials say some of the material has been deemed hazardous.
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