A second California retailer has been ordered to pay a significant fine following its failure to dispose of hazardous waste properly: Big Lots was found to have been disposing hazardous waste into its trash bins at stores throughout California, as well as transporting hazardous waste to landfills not permitted to receive such waste, and was ordered to pay more than $3.5 million in fines, according to HazMat Management.
This is the second large California retailer in the last month to be fined for illegally disposing of hazardous waste. In April, Dollar General parent company was ordered to pay $1.125 million as a settlement in a lawsuit filed by Kern County, CA; the lawsuit alleged that Dollar General retail stores throughout the state illegally disposed of hazardous waste in waste bins at retail and distribution locations, and that toxic and corrosive items were routinely being sent to landfills that were not permitted to receive that type of waste.
Both companies have been ordered to implement new procedures for training employees on how to properly manage and dispose of hazardous waste.
Big Lots was fined more than $3.5 million following settlement of a lawsuit that alleged hazardous waste was illegally disposed of at its 206 California stores and one distribution center. As with Dollar General, the hazardous waste included corrosive liquids, toxic materials, batteries, and other waste. Big Lots must pay more than $2 million in civil penalties, more than $336,000 to reimburse the cost of the investigation, and $350,000 to fund supplemental environmental projects. Additionally, the company must fund hazardous waste minimization and compliance projects pegged at another $803,000.
