Walmart To Pay $7.5M For Dumping Toxic Waste Into NorCal Landfills

CALIFORNIA — Walmart is accused of illegally disposing of hazardous waste and medical waste from its 300-plus California retail locations and its statewide distribution centers.

Now the company must pay $7.5 million to resolve the allegations.

It's not the first time Walmart has allegedly violated California's environmental laws.

On Tuesday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a settlement with the behemoth retailer following a 53-page complaint filed in Alameda County Superior Court in early 2022 by district attorneys from Alameda, Fresno, Monterey, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Joaquin, Solano, Tulare and Yolo counties.

California's attorney general and the 12 counties allege that from 2015 through 2021, more than 70 statewide waste audits were conducted at Walmart sites by the district attorneys' offices and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control.

The audits discovered Walmart was sending dangerous waste from its facilities to municipal landfills, including "thousands of containers of toxic aerosols and liquid wastes including spray paints, rust removers, bleach, pesticides, and medical waste, such as over-the-counter drugs," according to Bonta's office.

The alleged unlawful disposals violate the Hazardous Waste Control Law, Medical Waste Management Act, and Unfair Competition Law, according to the complaint.

This is the second such California case against Walmart, with the first judgment having been entered for similar violations in 2010. In that case, Walmart was placed under an injunction from May 2010 through January 2018, which prohibited the unlawful management and disposal of hazardous waste and materials.

Despite the injunction, Walmart continued to violate the law, resulting in the latest lawsuit, according to Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin.

With the settlement agreement announced Tuesday, Walmart must pay $4,297,040 in civil penalties and $3,202,960 in cost reimbursement. The company must also hire a third-party auditor to conduct three annual waste audits at its California facilities over the next four years.

The settlement agreement dictates how the audits will be carried out, and the results must be shared with the Attorney General's office, the Department of Toxic Substances Control, and the district attorneys involved.

In a statement Tuesday, Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price criticized Walmart for its alleged negligence.

"Large corporations must be held accountable when they do not follow the law and put the health and safety of Alameda County residents at risk," she said.

Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni added, "The mismanagement of hazardous wastes can result in fires and injuries — this judgment will help to ensure that retail businesses have appropriate policies and procedures in place to protect the safety of their employees, waste management staff, and the public."

In an emailed statement Tuesday afternoon, Walmart said its goal is "to advance the protection of the health and safety of the people of California and the protection of the environment."

Bonta acknowledged the Arkansas-based retailer is taking "significant steps" to prevent illegal disposals from happening in the future.

He added, "At the California Department of Justice, we will continue to hold any entity accountable for violating our environmental laws."