The retail giant Walmart has been slapped with a weighty $7.5 million fine after a collaborative legal battle spearheaded by Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, the California Attorney General's Office, and prosecutors from multiple counties, as ALCODA reports. This penalty is the product of a settlement addressing allegations that the company illegally disposed of hazardous and medical waste in municipal landfills across California.
According to the details of the settlement, which were outlined in both ALCODA's and Office of the Attorney General Bonta's announcements, Walmart is looking at a breakdown of $4,297,040 in civil penalties and $3,202,960 in costs, with those funds to be divided amongst the prosecuting agencies the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, and some local environmental agencies, moreover, they uncovered that this malpractice included the improper handling of private consumer information. Besides demanding monetary amends, the settlement compels the superstore to employ an independent auditor to oversee strict waste audits — three rounds annually for the next four years — ensuring that the waste disposal aligns stringently with California law.
"Walmart’s illegal disposal of hazardous and medical waste" threatened human health and the environment, declared Attorney General Rob Bonta during the settlement's announcement, an effort touted as a push for corporate environmental responsibility and adherence to state laws. Further remarks from the announcement underlined the potential risks posed by such corporate negligence, with Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni emphasizing that "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."
"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," said Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price in a statement echoed by fellow prosecutors. The substantial settlement and required corrective measures spring from an effort involving over 70 covert waste inspections by district attorneys' offices statewide from 2015 through 2021, which revealed a shocking array of toxic contaminants like aerosols, bleach, and over-the-counter drugs, routinely ending up in places they should never be — local landfills.
