Walmart Pleads Guilty To Waste Dumping

Walmart Stores has pleaded guilty to improperly disposing of pesticides, fertilizer, and other hazardous products at its stores across the U.S. and will pay a fine of $81.6 million. According to documents filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, the illegal dumping occurred in 16 California counties between 2003 and 2005. Federal prosecutors say the retail giant failed to train its employees on how to dispose of products that contain hazardous materials, such as solvents, paints, and aerosols. As a result, the products were either discarded improperly at the store level—including being put into municipal trash bins or, if liquid, poured into the local sewer system—or they were transported without proper safety documentation to one of six product return centers. Walmart says it has put in place policies and procedures on how to safely handle consumer products that become hazardous waste.