A Vernon food processing plant will pay more than $6 million to resolve criminal charges stemming from the deaths of two workers during a 2020 nitrogen gas leak, authorities said Tuesday.

According to the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, California Ranch Foods — a subsidiary of Gold West Food Group — pleaded guilty to a pair of misdemeanor charges stemming from the December 2020 deaths of Baldemar Lopez, 56, of Los Angeles, and Maria Osyguss, 49, of Hemet.

State regulators said the pair died when a malfunction in the company’s nitrogen system led to a hazardous gas release on Dec. 1, 2020. A subsequent investigation “found critical failures in safety procedures and training related to the handling of pressurized gas systems,” according to Cal/OSHA.

The company ha

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