"Walmart Inc. was sued by California for allegedly dumping hazardous waste including toxic cleaning supplies, pesticides and batteries in local landfills.
The complaint against the retail giant for unlawfully disposing waste since 2015 at more than 300 stores was announced Monday by state Attorney General Rob Bonta.
“We are not talking about a few batteries and a can of insect killer here,” Bonta said at a press conference. “Walmart’s own audits found that the company is illegally disposing of hazardous waste in California at a rate of over more than 1 million items each year.”
Bonta said the discarded products can “seep into the state’s drinking water as toxic pollutants or into the air as dangerous gases.”
Walmart called the lawsuit “unjustified,” saying in a statement that the state is demanding a level of compliance on waste disposal that goes beyond what’s required by law."
Jennifer Hijazi and Malathi Nayak report for Bloomberg Environment December 20, 2021.
SEE ALSO:
"Walmart Sued For Allegedly Dumping Hazardous Waste In California" (NPR)
