SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline) — California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced March 8 that Home Depot U.S.A. (Home Depot) will pay $27.84 million for allegedly allowing the disposal of hazardous waste at many of its stores and facilities in California.
Becerra had charged Home Depot with violating the state’s Hazardous Waste Control Law, and of California’s Unfair Competition Law. According to Becerra’s office, 45 inspections were made of Home Depot-owned trash dumpsters between 2013 and 2015. In that time, the inspectors— eight district attorneys and one city attorney—allegedly found instances of illegal hazardous waste disposals.
“At the California Department of Justice, we take seriously our obligation to protect the health and well-being of our communities. That is why we are holding Home Depot accountable,” Becerra said in a statement. “For approximately 2 1/2 years, state and local investigators inspected trash dumpsters belonging to Home Depot and found that the company failed to properly manage and dispose of hazardous waste and personal customer information. This is unacceptable and illegal. As the top law enforcement officer in California, I will continue to work with state and local agencies to prosecute those who violate our environmental and customer record laws.”
