Developer D.R. Horton is lead defendant in a class-action complaint that accuses it of failing to disclose toxic hazards in its Hidden Oaks subdivision in Simi Valley. Horton and codefendants Western Pacific Housing, JLC Associates and four individuals allegedly sold new homes without disclosing dangerous environmental hazards from the nearby Rocketdyne Santa Susana Field Laboratory, a 2,800-acre rocket, nuclear and engine research and testing facility.
Plaintiffs claim that “dozens of governmental studies” have shown emissions from Rocketdyne “have resulted in significant releases of carcinogenic toxins and radiation to the surrounding community through the air, water and soil,” and that the defendants concealed this, in violation of California disclosure laws. The plaintiffs seek punitive damages in Superior Court.
Individual defendants are Evan Knapp, Jason Frank, Rick Coop and Christina Ciesla.
The lawsuit is open to anyone who purchased a home in the Hidden Oaks subdivision in Simi Valley, California.