General Magnaplate California is closing its Ventura facility, the company announced on April 15.

Difficult California business conditions and the settlement of a lawsuit filed by the Environmental Defense Center forced the closure, the company said. General Magnaplate has made reinforced parts used in the aerospace, transportation, medical, oil and other industries for 36 years.

“After 36 successful years in Ventura we have made the extremely difficult decision to close our facility,” Candida Aversenti, CEO of General Magnaplate Corporation, said in a news release. “This is a very sad day for our employees and for my family who have a long history of job creation in this area, but the simple fact is that the State of California does not provide a business friendly environment. Increases in workers compensation costs and government regulations, combined with predatory citizens groups and law firms that make their living entirely by preying on small businesses, have left us with no other choice but to shut down our California facility. This is in stark contrast to our New Jersey and Texas facilities which are flourishing in small business-friendly environments created by the respective local governments and environmental agencies.”

The Santa Barbara nonprofit sent a notice letter to General Magnaplate alleging that Magnaplate’s Ventura facility has been contaminating the Santa Clara River with polluted storm water runoff.

The EDC published a news release on April 14 that said the company agreed to repair paved surfaces and install metal-reducing technology as well as contribute $15,000 to the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment to be used for future Santa Clara River watershed water quality improvements.

General Magnaplate denies that it violated the Clean Water Act claiming the the polluted storm water runoff “came on to our property from neighboring properties exempt from CWA compliance.”

“We have agreed to settle with the EDC for purely economic reasons,” General Magnaplate’s President and COO Edmund Aversenti said.

• Contact Alex Kacik at akacik@pacbiztimes.com.