Wal-Mart receives massive fines for hazardous waste dumping

Following three criminal cases brought by the Justice Department and a civil case filed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) against Wal-Mart Stores Inc, the company is subject to pay around $81.6 million (£54 million) in fines. Wal-Mart pleaded guilty to the mishandling and disposing of hazardous waste, leading to six violations of the Clean Water Act.

The company also pleaded guilty to the improper handling of pesticides by retail staff when returned by customers; leading to violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The charges brought against Wal-Mart related to practices undertaken throughout its retail stores across the US.  

According to documents filed in court, Wal-Mart employees, up until January 2006, were improperly discarding hazardous waste. Staff were found to have been using municipal bins to dispose of solid waste and were tipping liquid waste products into local sewer systems.

These cases of incorrect disposal were due, according to the documents, to a lack of company procedures and staff training. Allegedly, there was no system in place to inform staff at store level how to handle hazardous materials in a safe manner, or how to dispose of them.

The lack of training throughout Wal-Mart retail units also resulted in hazardous waste being transported to product return centres at six different locations throughout the US without proper safety documentation.

Ignacia S. Moreno, assistant attorney general for the Justice department's Environmental and Natural Resources Division, said: "By improperly handling hazardous waste, pesticides and other materials in violation of federal laws, Wal-Mart put the public and the environment at risk and gained an unfair economic advantage over other companies.

"Today [May 28th 2013], Wal-Mart acknowledged responsibility for violations of federal laws and will pay significant fines and penalties, which will, in part, fund important environmental projects in the communities impacted by the violations and help prevent future harm to the environment."