Target Reaches $7.4M Hazardous Waste Disposal Settlement with California

(Photo Credit: Eric Martin, Flickr Creative Commons)

Target Corporation agreed to pay $7.4 million this month as part of a settlement over the company’s handling and disposal of retail hazardous waste in California.

Alameda County District Attorney O’Malley as part of a coalition including California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and 24 local governments, announced the statewide settlement with Target, which includes improved environmental compliance measures and injunctive terms.

This settlement resolves reports that Target had violated state laws and injunctive terms from a 2011 judgment about the company’s handling and disposal of retail hazardous waste, O’Malley’s office said.

“The current settlement follows investigations of Target’s conduct between 2012 and 2016, during which time the company committed violations by improperly disposing hazardous waste into landfills,” O’Malley’s statement read. “The waste included items such as electronics, batteries, aerosol cans, compact fluorescent light bulbs, and medical waste including syringes, over-the-counter and prescribed pharmaceuticals, as well as confidential medical information from its customers.”

Local regulatory agencies and representatives from district attorneys’ offices inspected Target’s trash compactors throughout 2012 and 2014. Prosecutors say that the company unlawfully disposed of 2,038 items of hazardous waste, 175 items of confidential medical information of customers, and 94 items of medical waste during that time.

Subsequently, the company and the state agreed to revise the 2011 settlement judgment. O’Malley’s office says that the final judgment terms approved by the Alameda County Superior Court include:

• $3.2 million in civil penalties
• $300,000 for funding of Supplemental Environmental Projects undertaken by entities other than Target, including $50,000 to conduct education classes and programs for owners and operators of small businesses located in low income and minority areas in California
• Additional requirements that Target expend at least $3 million to conduct three annual inspections and audits of 12 facilities, and provide reports to the attorney general and local prosecutors, and create and implement a customer trash receptacle inspection and management program
• $900,000 for attorneys’ fees, and costs of investigation and enforcement

This is Target’s second settlement in California over hazardous waste compliance. In 2011, the company agreed to pay $22.5 million for penalties, attorneys’ fees, and funding for supplemental environmental projects.

The Sacramento Bee published a statement from Target this month: “We’ve made significant progress in the way we handle hazardous waste following our 2011 settlement with the state of California. We have enhanced team member training, store operations and auditing processes and we continue work to improve our operations to best manage disposing of items like batteries, hairspray and laundry detergent that require additional, special care under California laws.”

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