Under the stipulated final judgment, entered without admission of liability, OMI is required to pay a total of $125,000 in civil penalties and costs; $50,000 of the penalties will be suspended if OMI avoids committing similar violations for three years. The District Attorney’s Office received assistance in this investigation from the California Water Board and USEPA. OMI cooperated fully with the investigation.
OMI settles complaint
June 30, 2006
Santa Paula News
District Attorney Gregory Totten announced this week that the Consumer and Environmental Protection Division has filed and settled a civil environmental protection complaint against Operations Management International, Inc. (“OMI”) of Englewood, Colorado.
District Attorney Gregory Totten announced this week that the Consumer and Environmental Protection Division has filed and settled a civil environmental protection complaint against Operations Management International, Inc. (“OMI”) of Englewood, Colorado. OMI specializes in the operation and maintenance of water and wastewater systems.Between 1998 and 2003, OMI was in a contract with the City of Santa Paula whereby OMI operated the Santa Paula Wastewater Treatment Facility located at 905 Corporation Street in Santa Paula. OMI was required to operate the facility in compliance with a permit issued by the California Water Board. The permit required chemical testing to ensure chlorine levels in the plant’s effluent to be limited to “<0.1 mg/L.” OMI was required to conduct the testing and report the results to the Water Board.The complaint alleges OMI engaged in “unlawful, unfair or fraudulent” acts or practices in violation of section 17200 of the Business and Professions Code by making untrue certifications that the effluent complied with the permit, and failing to report test results that showed apparent non-compliance with the permit’s discharge limitations for residual chlorine. An investigation revealed no evidence of environmental harm resulting from the alleged violations.
