Wal-Mart Toxic Dumping: Company Will Pay $81 Million In Fines For Illegally Disposing Of Toxic Substances

Wal-Mart has found itself involved in a toxic dumping case, and the result is the company being forced to pay a hefty fine. Wal-Mart pleaded guilty on Tuesday to criminal charges of improper handling of not only hazardous waste, but also pesticides at its retail stores.

According to Raw Story, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. pleaded guilty to six counts of violating the Clean Water Act in California, and one case, in Missouri, of violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act.

The FBI released a press statement regarding the world's largest retailer, the U.S Department of Justice sated that Wal-Mart will pay more than $81.6 million in fines for its "unlawful conduct."

The statement also revealed that Wal-Mart's guilty plea is not the first time the retailer has been in trouble for toxic dumping. The press release continued, "coupled with previous actions brought by the states of California and Missouri for the same conduct, Walmart will pay a combined total of more than $110 million to resolve cases alleging violations of federal and state environmental laws."

Wal-Mart employees allegedly mishandled hazardous waste, pesticides and other harmful materials in violation of federal laws. The retailer never had a program in place to correctly instruct employees on proper hazardous waste management and disposal practices at the store level. Due to this lack of training and instruction, "hazardous wastes were either discarded improperly at the store level-including being put into municipal trash bins or, if a liquid, poured into the local sewer system," according to the press release.

"By improperly handling hazardous waste, pesticides, and other materials in violation of federal laws, Walmart 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 Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division.

This toxic dumping offenses were include in the six charges of violating the Clean Water Act in California, however, the Missouri case appears to be an even more egregious violation of federal law.

According to a plea agreement filed in Kansas City, Wal-Mart began sending household products including regulated solid and liquid pesticides, from its six return centers to Greenleaf LLC. Greenleaf is a recycling facility located in Missouri, at Greenleaf the aforementioned products were processed for reuse and resale, "regulated pesticides were mixed together and offered for sale to customers without the required registration, ingredients, or use information, which constitutes a violation of FIFRA."

The criminal case against Wal-Mart were investigated by the FBI and the EPA, with assistance from the California Department of Substance and Toxics Control, and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.