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Bennett says ‘no malfeasance’ was involved in Mirada Petroleum map switch

Kimberly Rivers, Ojai Valley News correspondent

How Ventura County Planning Department staff missed an error on a map covering a proposed oil well project was the question Feb. 4 when representatives from Citizens for Responsible Oil and Gas (CFROG) met with Ventura County Supervisor Steve Bennett.

“My research focused on the serious allegation of planning staff malfeasance, which I did not find,” said Bennett. “But I did find staff errors.” Bennett did not comment further regarding policies and procedures in the Planning Department, nor did he respond to questions about whether any steps are being taken to prevent similar mistakes from occurring again. He also declined to say whether similar errors might exist in other projects.