Edison Pleads to Water Code Crime, Will Pay $3.5 Million
Electric Company Dumped Mountains of Dirt and Rock into Creek During Unpermitted Mission Canyon Grading Project
Southern California Edison has pleaded no contest to a criminal violation of the California Water Code and will pay $3.5 million in civil penalties after dumping massive amounts of dirt and rock into Mission Creek during an unpermitted grading project along Spyglass Ridge Road. District Attorney Joyce Dudley made the announcement Monday.
“The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office is committed to prosecuting violations of California’s environmental laws,” Dudley said in a press statement. “While the decision to charge a corporation criminally is not one that prosecutors take lightly, our office will do so when the underlying conduct warrants such action. We believe the resolution in this case reflects the seriousness of SCE’s impact on our environment.”
The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorneys Morgan Lucas and Christopher Dalbey and was supervised by Senior Deputy District Attorney Brian Cota.
