Walmart agrees to pay $7.5 million to settle California lawsuit over disposal of hazardous waste

Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Walmart has agreed to pay $7.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by California officials that alleged the retail giant illegally dumped hazardous waste. Batteries, aerosol cans of insect killer, toxic cleaning supplies, and other hazardous waste are alleged to have been dumped in municipal landfills throughout the state. California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the settlement Tuesday. Bonta says the company will also be required to hire an independent, third-party auditor to conduct three waste audits each year at its facilities throughout California during the next four years. The audit results will have to be shared with the Attorney General’s Office and the district attorneys of the 12 counties involved in the lawsuit.