Aera, Chevron sue VLT over road access
A lawsuit filed by energy companies drilling for oil and gas in the hills north of Ventura could jeopardize access to a nature preserve recently opened by the Ventura Land Trust (VLT). The legal action by Aera Energy LLC and Chevron U.S.A. Inc. involves an easement along Hall Canyon Road which is used to access a new trailhead for Ventura Hills Nature Preserve as well as oilfield operations.
The lawsuit also names the city of Ventura, and claims neither the city nor VLT hold the legal right to alter the easement in a way that burdens the oil companies.
“As a result of these unauthorized and unlawful reciprocal grants, the city and VLT have improperly introduced new public pedestrian and recreational uses onto Hall Canyon Road — a private industrial access roadway — where such uses are not permitted under the recorded easement and will materially interfere with plaintiffs’ easement rights, while also creating foreseeable operational and safety conflicts,” according to the complaint…