This post, Target to Pay $7.4 Million for Improperly Disposing Hazardous Waste in Calif. Landfills – Again, first appeared on https://obrag.org.
Good ol’ Target. As the giant mega-company was readying the former antique mall for its new Ocean Beach store, over on the environmental side, it was “disposing of batteries, light bulbs, medical waste and other environmentally hazardous materials improperly in landfills across the state” of California.
And it got busted – and now it has agreed to pay a $7.4 million settlement to California. It appears the Minnesota-based company violated a $22.5 million stipulated judgment from 2011 over similar allegations of improper disposal of hazardous retail waste.
The settlement comes out from claims the Minnesota-based company violated a $22.5 million judgment it stipulated to when it got busted earlier in 2011 over similar allegations of improper disposal of hazardous retail waste.
And San Diego was involved in the legal settlement as both the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office and the San Diego City Attorney’s Office were parties , along with 21 other district attorneys, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and the Los Angeles city attorney. San Diego DA Summer Stephan said in a statement:
“This settlement holds Target accountable for this second violation of environmental laws that involve the improper disposal of a long list of hazardous materials. This case serves as a reminder to corporations of the importance of environmental protection laws that safeguard the public’s health.”
Included in the settlement are enhanced environmental compliance measures with which Target must comply.
In the San Diego Union-Tribune‘s report, it stated:
Target previously settled allegations of improper waste disposal in 2011, and as part of that stipulated judgment, the company agreed to annual compliance audits. Throughout 2012 and 2014, state officials and regulators inspected the company’s trash compactors, where they discovered electronics, batteries, aerosol cans, compact fluorescent light bulbs and medical waste.
The medical wasted included syringes, over-the-counter and prescribed pharmaceuticals, and confidential medical information from its customers.
The prosecutors alleged that during 2012 and 2014, Target unlawfully disposed of a total of 2,038 items of hazardous waste, 175 items of confidential medical information of customers and 94 items of medical waste.
Here’s a break-down of some of the payments Target must make according to terms of the settlement, approved in Alameda County Superior Court: Target will pay $3.2 million in civil penalties and spend at least $3 million to conduct three annual inspections and audits to ensure its facilities are in compliance with rules regulating the dumping of hazardous materials; $900,000 in attorney’s fees and costs associated with investigation and enforcement activities; $300,000 in civil penalties and $43,330 in enforcement costs to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.
Of course, $7.4 million is only a drop in the ol bucket for Target. Target is the 11th largest retailer in the world and based just on its revenue and profits from the last three years, Target is worth $62.6 billion.
This post, Target to Pay $7.4 Million for Improperly Disposing Hazardous Waste in Calif. Landfills – Again, first appeared on https://obrag.org.
