A lawsuit filed recently by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and 12 district attorneys alleges Walmart has violated the state's environmental laws and regulations for the disposal of hazardous waste products.
While the suit filed Dec. 20 alleges the company disposed of these products at local landfills not equipped or authorized to receive this type of waste, Walmart states they have met the requirements of a court-approved settlement requiring the proper disposal of common consumer products.
“We have met with the state numerous times and walked them through our industry-leading hazardous waste compliance programs in an effort to avoid litigation. Instead, they filed this unjustified lawsuit,” Walmart said in a statement to the Northern California Record. “The state is demanding a level of compliance regarding waste disposal from our stores of common house-hold products and other items that goes beyond what is required by law. We intend to defend the company.”
According to the company, it has worked with the California attorney general, district attorneys and the court to build and maintain their comprehensive hazardous waste compliance programs. As of 2018, they state the court agreed that Walmart had done so close to everything required, that nothing more could be required form them.
“Yet, as the court was prepared to relieve Walmart of its obligations under the settlement, the attorney general’s office launched a new investigation with new rules in hopes that Walmart would enter another settlement requiring another substantial financial payment,” the company said in their statement.
Since 2010, California regulators have conducted more than 3,800 environmental inspections of Walmart stores. None of these have resulted in any fines on the company for violations of the state’s Hazardous Waste Control Law.
The lawsuit alleges waste improperly disposed of include alkaline and lithium batteries, insect killer sprays and other pesticides, aerosol cans, toxic cleaning supplies, electronic waste, latex paints and LED lightbulbs, as well as confidential customer information.
According to results from Walmart’s own inspections, the California Department of Justice estimates the company unlawfully disposes of approximately 159,600 pounds – or more than one million items – of hazardous waste in California each year.
This comes as the company states audits of compactor waste conducted or overseen by the California attorney general have shown the waste in Walmart’s compactors contain at most 0.4% of items of hazardous products that they have identified. The statewide average is 3%.