Wal-Mart Toxic Waste Trial Ends in $82 Million Settlement

Wal-Mart Stores pleaded guilty Tuesday to misdemeanor counts of negligently dumping pollutants from its stores into sanitation drains across California and will pay about $82 million dollars in fines, the New York Times reported.

Wal-Mart violated the Clean Water Act in California on six counts and a law in Missouri regarding pesticide disposal on one count. The plea deal officially ends an eight-year investigation involving 32 environmental groups and more than 20 prosecutors.

"We have fixed the problem," company spokesman Brooke Buchanan said. "We are obviously happy that this is the final resolution."

The fines are another minor financial speed bump for the world's largest retailer. The $82 million in fines Wal-Mart has agreed to pay is less than one percent of its reported $182 billion in revenues last year (New York Times).

Still, the investigation has prompted Wal-Mart to change its ways. Associates are now being trained on the proper ways to dispose of waste, regular and hazardous. The retail giant has also hired former Environmental Protection Agency officials to work in its new compliance office, reported the New York Times.

The investigation began in 2003 when illegal dumping occurred in 16 California counties. Employees reportedly tossed hazardous waste into trash bins and poured chemicals into sewer drains, reported the Associated Press.

"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," said Ignacia S. Moreno, assistant attorney general for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Justice Department.

Buchanan told the AP that scanners will tell associates if a given item contains hazardous materials, making it simpler to comply with disposal laws.

Moreno told the AP the fines against Wall-Mart "will, in part, fund important environmental projects in the communities impacted by the violations and help prevent future harm to the environment."