District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today the indictment of Santa Clara Waste Water Company, Green Compass Environmental Solutions LLC, Douglas Brian Edwards of Oxnard (DOB 09/10/1956), William James Mitzel of La Verne (DOB 03/15/1957), Charles Ray Mundy of Ventura (DOB 12/27/1963), Dean Michael Poe of Ventura (DOB 04/28/1965), Brock Gustin William Baker of Carpinteria (DOB 02/08/1974), Mark Stephen Avila of Fillmore (DOB 02/19/1966), Marlene Joan Faltemier of Ventura (DOB 01/13/1965), David Joseph Wirsing of (DOB 10/15/1971), and Kenneth Douglas Griffin Jr. of Ventura (DOB 07/04/1995) for crimes related to the operations of Santa Clara Waste Water Company’s Santa Paula facility. This case was investigated by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Department of Transportation, the Ventura County Environmental Health Department, and the Ventura County Fire Department.

This case arises from a nine-month investigation into the November 18, 2014, explosion which occurred at the Santa Clara Waste Water Company facility located at 815 Mission Rock Road in Santa Paula. The explosion and its chemical residue caused injury to numerous individuals, including employees of the company and first responders. Sixty-seven individual witnesses testified before the Grand Jury during the eleven days of proceedings leading to the indictment of nine individuals and two corporate entities. The charges include conspiracy to dispose of hazardous waste, failure to warn of a serious concealed danger, handling a hazardous waste with a reckless disregard for human life, withholding information regarding a substantial danger to public safety, filing a false or forged instrument, and dissuading a witness. For information on the specific charges alleged against each defendant, see the attached Indictment and Summary of Charges.

Santa Clara Waste Water Company and Green Compass Environmental Solutions LLC were arraigned today. The remaining nine defendants are expected to be arraigned within the next week.